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NHL Notebook: Flyers offer sheet Ducks’ forward Leo Carlsson
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Ryley Delaney
Jul 4, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 3, 2026, 23:18 EDT
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As it stands, Leo Carlsson is going to be the highest-paid player in the National Hockey League next season.
On Friday afternoon, the Philadelphia Flyers announced out of the blue that they have agreed to a five-year, $18 million AAV with Carlsson. A restricted free agent, the Anaheim Ducks have a chance to match, but if they don’t, they’ll receive the Flyers’ next four first-round picks.
Carlsson was drafted second overall by the Ducks in the 2023 draft. Last season, he scored a career-high 29 goals and 67 points in 70 games. In the post-season, he added an additional four goals and 11 points in 12 games as the Ducks were eventually eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.
The Swedish centre is a young start in the league, but this offer sheet puts the Ducks in a bind. If they accept, they’ll have a little over $17.1 million in cap space to sign Cutter Guathier (who scored 41 goals last season) and defenceman Pavel Mintyukov. Accepting this deal puts them in a bind for the foreseeable future. If they don’t accept, then they lose a first line centre for futures.
This is the second offer sheet of the off-season, as the New Jersey Devils gave Utah Mammoth forward one as well. As uncommon as they are, this isn’t the first time the Flyers have done something like this, giving Shea Weber an offer sheet worth $110 over 14 years back in the 2012 off-season.

Devils sign David Rititch

Speaking of the Devils, they signed a former Flame to replace a departing former Flame. On Thursday evening, it was announced that they signed David Rittich to a one-year worth $1 million.
Rittich, now 33, spent the 2025-26 season with the New York Islanders, finishing the season with an .894 save percentage and 2.76 goals against average. He’s two years removed from posting a .921 save percentage and 2.15 goals against average with the Los Angeles Kings in 2023-24.
The Czech native spent parts of five seasons with the Flames, his first NHL team. Over 130 games, he posted a .908 save percentage and 2.83 goals against average, with a 63-39-15 record.
Rittich has also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets.

Gavin McKenna signs ELC

To the surprise of no one, Gavin McKenna has signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs selected McKenna first overall in the most recent draft. Last season with Penn State, the Whitehorse product scored 15 goals and 51 points in 35 games. That was a season removed from scoring 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games with the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers, who won the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Now a professional, McKenna is no longer eligible to play in the NCAA, but there was already an improbable chance of that happening.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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