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The Philadelphia Flyers tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson on Friday, a five-year deal worth $18 million annually, according to ESPN. Carlsson accepted the offer, which now gives the Ducks one week to match it. In either scenario, Carlsson will earn $18 million per year.
The move immediately shifted attention across the league toward another young star center: Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Bedard and Carlsson are both restricted free agents. Bedard is generally considered the better player of the two, and the question now circulating is whether someone will move to offer him an even larger contract. A figure of $20 million per year has been floated as a possibility.
The Sporting News reached out to Chicago Sun-Times reporter Ben Pope, who addressed Bedard's situation directly following the Carlsson news. Pope laid out several reasons why Blackhawks fans should not be alarmed. "There are many reasons not to worry. First, Bedard has repeatedly indicated that he plans to spend a long time with the Hawks and believes in the franchise's plan," Pope writes. "Second, he and Hawks GM Kyle Davidson communicate frequently, including during Davidson's controversial acquisition of Bowen Byram — a friend of Bedard's — last week. Third, Bedard dislikes drama. Fourth, Bedard might have a bigger immediate concern in the form of his injury. And fifth, if the Flyers approached Bedard before approaching Carlsson, which seems plausible, clearly nothing came to fruition there."
Pope did acknowledge that until Bedard has his next contract signed with Chicago, "nothing can be ruled out."
The Carlsson deal represents a significant reset for the restricted free agent market at the center position. At 18 million dollars per year over five years, it sets a new reference point for how teams and players will approach negotiations for elite young forwards going forward.
The Ducks now face a decision. Matching the offer sheet keeps Carlsson in Anaheim but commits the organization to a major long-term salary. Declining it sends one of the team's core pieces to Philadelphia. The one-week window makes the timeline tight.
For the Flyers, the move signals an aggressive offseason approach. Acquiring a player of Carlsson's caliber, whether through a matched or unmatched offer sheet, represents a significant commitment to building around young talent.
The Bedard situation remains unresolved. Chicago has not announced a contract extension, and the Carlsson deal has made the stakes around that negotiation more visible. Whether another team moves to make an offer on Bedard before he and the Blackhawks reach an agreement is the next question the league will be watching.
