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The Anaheim Ducks have matched the Philadelphia Flyers' five-year, $90 million offer sheet to Leo Carlsson, keeping the rising star and creating a little bit of a cap squeeze for the team.

The $18 million average annual value on the offer sheet makes Carlsson, 21, the highest-paid player in the NHL, passing the $17 million for Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov. The Flyers would have owed the Ducks four first-round picks if they had not matched.

With the match and the recent re-signing of defensemen Pavel Mintyukov and Tyson Hinds, the Ducks have about $9 million in remaining cap space according to puckpedia.com

Cutter Gauthier, the team's leading scorer, still has to sign and that cap space might not be enough after a 41-goal season. The Ducks' defense also could use an upgrade. That means general manager Pat Verbeek might have to trade a veteran or two to be cap-compliant.

Here's what to know about the Ducks matching the Flyers' offer sheet:

The Chicago Blackhawks are in trouble. They are not going to have Connor Bedard until the middle of November due to shoulder surgery that he had on Wednesday. 

With Bedard out, a potential 30 goal/point per game player is missing from the forward group. A lot of offense coming out of the lineup is less than ideal for a team that has already struggled to score in recent years. 

There are a handful of moves that could be made to help while Bedard is out, and be there as support when he comes back. Whether it is a trade or a free agent signing of whoever is left, Kyle Davidson is likely looking to make another move for a forward who can score. 

Among the options is Patrick Kane, who is a legendary player already, with most of his damage coming as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks from the time he was the number one overall pick in 2007 to 2023, when he was traded away. 

During that stretch, Kane won a Hart Trophy, 3 Stanley Cups, and a Conn Smythe Trophy. Over the course of his entire career, Kane has 508 goals, 892 assists, and 1400 points in 1369 games played. There is no denying that he is one of the greatest American-born players in the history of the sport. 

It's not like Kane is a low-end player at 37 years old, either. On an up-and-down Detroit Red Wings team last year, Kane had 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points in 67 games played. If he were put in a strictly offensive role (attacking zone starts, power play, top-six line) on the Blackhawks, his production would be right on par with those numbers. 

Would Kane play with Bedard once the young center comes back from injury? It isn't a given at even strength, although they may give it a try here and there, but they would certainly get time together on the power play. 

Not only does Kane bring exceptional skill on the ice, but he has a level of experience that very few ever achieve in an NHL career. He has made so many deep playoff runs, including winning the last game of the year, and he has also had so many disappointments.

That level of wisdom would be great for not only Bedard but also Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov, and other young players on the team. 

It does not sound like Kane will be making a return to the Detroit Red Wings, no matter what. That leaves the Chicago Blackhawks and his hometown Buffalo Sabres as the top two candidates.

Anything can change with one phone call, as in another team swooping in, but these two teams that he's connected to have a hockey-related need in a market that he's familiar with. 

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The list of potential destinations for Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has reportedly grown, but the Minnesota Wild remain firmly in the conversation.

According to recent reports, Larkin has expanded the list of teams he would be willing to accept a trade to by adding the Dallas Stars.

Even with Dallas joining the mix, Minnesota remains one of just four reported destinations on Larkin's approved list, alongside the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers.

The Wild's continued inclusion is notable.

Minnesota has long been viewed as a team searching for another top-six center, and Larkin would immediately provide a proven offensive presence down the middle.

The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the NHL's premier two-way centers, combining speed, leadership, faceoff ability and consistent scoring throughout his career.

General manager Bill Guerin has never been afraid to make significant trades when the right player becomes available. His acquisition of Quinn Hughes last season demonstrated the organization's willingness to swing big when an opportunity presents itself.

Whether the Wild have the assets, or the salary cap flexibility, to complete a deal is another question entirely. 

Still, as the offseason continues, Minnesota's place on Larkin's reported trade list ensures the Wild will remain connected to one of the NHL's biggest ongoing trade storylines.

For now, the list may have expanded to four teams, but the Wild are still one of the few organizations Larkin is reportedly willing to call home if a trade ever comes together.

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Nikita Kucherov is a critical figure in the Florida rivalry between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

But what if he was on the opposite side?

Former Panthers assistant GM Steve Werier appeared on The Overdrive, a TSN radio show, to answer questions about Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet and how the process works.

To better explain his point, he reflected on real-life experiences, noting how the Panthers approached offer sheets in 2016. 

Werier mentioned that the Panthers made sure to lock up key RFAs before they became offer-sheet eligible, including Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau, Vincent Trocheck, and Reilly Smith. With their own business handled, the Panthers planned to offer sheet Kucherov.

Werier spent just one season with the Panthers as the assistant GM, during the 2016-17 season, when Kucherov’s entry-level contract expired. 

In the 2016 off-season, Kucherov wasn’t the player he is now, but he was beginning to show signs of it. He was coming off consecutive 60-point seasons and scored 29 and 30 goals. In the playoffs, Kucherov notched 10 goals and 22 points in 26 games during the Lightning’s run to the Stanley Cup final in 2015.

Werier on Carlsson: 'I think they're going to match, I think it's an easy decision'Aaron Korolnek and Dave Feschuk are joined by former Florida Panthers Assistant GM Steve Werier to discuss why he believes the Anaheim Ducks should match Leo...

He may not have been the two-time Hart Trophy winner and three-time Art Ross Trophy winner, just yet, but the Panthers clearly noticed something in his development, and they were right to think that way.

In the end, the Panthers did not offer sheet Kucherov and he signed a three-year bridge deal with the Lightning. Kucherov is now considered the best winger in the NHL, and when he calls it a career, he’ll go straight to the Hockey Hall of Fame, owning all the records in Tampa Bay. 

It’s fun to take a second to imagine how differently the NHL would have looked if the Panthers had successfully offer-sheeted Kucherov. 

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Former Avalanche "prospect" Danil Gushchin is leaving North America and the NHL to head back to the KHL. He was one of the few who did not receive a qualifying offer from the Colorado Avalanche and has signed a two-year deal with the Avtomoblist Yekaterinburg, his hometown team, in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the third round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Gushchin spent time bouncing between the Sharks and the AHL San Jose Barracuda.

In the summer of 2025, the Colorado Avalanche made a deal with the Sharks that saw them flip Gushchin, a prospect who just couldn't break through, for Oskar Olausson, the Avalanche's own prospect who dealt with injuries and couldn't break through in the AHL and find a roster spot.

Avalanche Swap Prospects with the San Jose Sharks, Acquire Forward Danil GushchinThe Colorado Avalanche announced on Friday that they have acquired forward Danil Gushchin from the San Jose Sharks in return for forward Oskar Olausson.

With the Colorado Eagles, Gushchin finished with 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points in 49 games, lower totals than what he was used to putting up with the Barracuda. Given how deep the Eagles were, he often wasn't in the lineup, so he only played in three Calder Cup Playoff games and didn't record a point.

Cale Makar Is Worth A Record Contract. The Avalanche Have To Get The Number RightCale Makar has earned a historic contract, but the Colorado Avalanche must balance paying their franchise defenseman with maintaining the championship-caliber roster needed to keep chasing Stanley Cups.

The New Jersey Devils made a handful of small moves that come off as AHL transactions when you look at them from a bird’s-eye view. However, one of those moves could be a hidden gem for Sunny Mehta and his staff in year one of their operation. 

Before the 2026 NHL Draft, New Jersey sent a 4th-round pick (108th overall) to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forward Amadeus Lombardi. This is a player who could turn out to be an AHL-lifer, or he could make Mehta look like a genius right away. 

At 23 years old, Lombardi is only scratching the surface of his potential in pro hockey. His first year with the Grand Rapids Griffins saw him learn how to play at the AHL level. He wasn’t an outstanding rookie point producer as he had 26 points in 70 games to open his career, but there were developing tools at work. 

Over the next two seasons, Lombardi took a big step. He had 82 points in 91 games during that stretch. A little bit of bad injury luck plagued him at times, but he is ready for a fresh start in a new organization. 

Scouts love Lombardi's game, and they always have. He's a bit undersized, but there is no denying the offensive output he is capable of displaying if he is on the ice healthy. 

The Utica Comets need to have a competitive AHL team. Sunny Mehta proved his belief in that with all of the transactions that have been made for them so far this summer.

Utica Comets Offseason Tracker: Every Move in a Massive Roster OverhaulThe Utica Comets have undergone a massive overhaul this offseason.

At worst, Lombardi can be a contributor there, but the expectation is that his chance at the NHL level will come too. It's up to him to take advantage of it. 

Lombardi is a versatile forward when it comes to his position, but he likely won't ever play center at the NHL level with the New Jersey Devils. They are too deep to ever think of giving him a spot there, but eight wing spots could be had with the right progression in his game. 

Is it possible that Lombardi sticks to being a top-of-the-line AHL player? It sure is. The Devils didn't give up much to get him, so the risk is outweighed by the potential reward. 

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Former San Jose Sharks prospect Danil Gushchin is heading back to his native Russia. After not receiving a qualifying offer from the Colorado Avalanche, he has signed a two-year deal with his hometown team, Avtomoblist Yekaterinburg, in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Gushchin moved to North America nearly a decade ago, joining the United States Hockey League’s Muskegon Lumberjacks ahead of the 2018-19 season. While with Muskegon, he was drafted by the Sharks with the 76th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. 

Gushchin made his professional debut at the end of the 2021-22 season, appearing in a few games for the San Jose Barracuda after his junior season ended. The following season, he finished his first fully professional campaign and even made his NHL debut, playing a pair of games for the Sharks.

From there, Gushchin was a regular for the Barracuda and occasionally earned NHL opportunities until he departed the Sharks organization following the 2024-25 season.

While a member of the Colorado Avalanche organization, Gushchin played exclusively at the AHL level before being allowed to hit the free agent market this summer.

During his time in San Jose, Gushchin scored 70 goals and a total of 150 points in 182 games at the AHL level. During his limited opportunities with the Sharks, he scored two goals and five points in 18 career NHL games.

Once upon a time, the Montreal Canadiens had a tendency to select many players from the USHL or the NCAA, but in recent years, we’ve seen a new trend emerge: drafting Russian players. The Habs made Ivan Demidov the fifth overall pick at the 2024 draft; they opted for Alexander Zharovsky with their first pick of the 2025 draft in the second round, and just last month they moved up to grab Gleb Pugachyov with the 26th overall selection.

Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board announced that it had provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee. They also added that recommendations to International Federations regarding Russian athletes’ participation are no longer applicable.

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While this might not have any immediate repercussions for the Canadiens, it will more than likely have some down the line. Following Russia’s suspension from international events after it invaded Ukraine in 2023, Russian hockey players missed the Olympic Games, the IIHF World Championships, and the World Junior Championships; the NHL also decided to exclude Russia from its own international competition, which explains how the 4 Nations Face-Off came to be.

This decision from the IOC could very well result in Team Russia being reintegrated in all international hockey events. Since the NHL normally follows the IOC and the IIHF’s lead, this could also mean that the Russians are allowed to take part in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, scheduled for February 2028 in both Canada and Czechia.

If it were the case, it would likely mean that Canadiens’ playmaker Demidov would finally be able to participate in a best-on-best competition, which is a great experience for any player. Nick Suzuki has raved about his participation in the 4 Nations and the Olympics, and it has definitely helped other markets to become aware of just how complete a player the Canadiens’ captain is.

Assuming no changes, by February 2028, Zharovsky should have joined the Canadiens, but it’s much too early to say whether he would be under consideration for Team Russia. After all, there are many talented Russian players in the NHL and beyond. Last season, Nikita Kucherov put up 130 points, Kirill Kaprizov racked up 89 points and pocketed a contract with a $17M cap hit, while Artemi Panarin took his production to the Los Angeles Kings. And that’s just up front; Team Russia could also have some of the top goalies in the league, including Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, and Sergei Bobrovsky, to name a few. On the blueline, the names of Mikhail Sergachev, Dimitry Orlov, Alexander Nikishin, and Pavel Mintyukov come to mind.

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New York Islanders veteran center Bo Horvat was seen training with one of the team's top prospects, defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, as the two prepare for the coming 2026-27 season:

Early July:

Bo Horvat and Kashawn Aitcheson already getting ready for next season 👀 #Isles

🎥: muskokahockey/IG pic.twitter.com/0vPvijOGtG

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) July 9, 2026

Aitcheson, who recently attended the team's development camp from June 29 through July 2, was selected by the Islanders with the 17th pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.

The 19-year-old earned placement on the CHL and OHL First All-Star Teams after leading the OHL in goals (28) and points (70) as captain of the Barrie Colts last season.

Seeing NHL ice in the coming season is not necessarily out of the question, but the extensive depth on the left side of the organization’s blue line and Aitcheson's lack of professional experience make 2027-28 a more realistic timeline for him to push for an NHL roster spot.

Instead, he is expected to start 2026-27 with the Hamilton Hammers of the American Hockey League.

Horvat, who led the Islanders with 31 goals in 2025-26, is once again reflecting his leadership as he remains a candidate to replace Anders Lee as the 16th captain in franchise history.

In a deeply ironic twist, Cutter Gauthier could be the wildcard who makes or breaks the Philadelphia Flyers in their pursuit of a successful Leo Carlsson offer sheet.

Gauthier, 22, is a restricted free agent in need of a new contract, much like teammate Carlsson. And, like Carlsson, it is going to be an expensive one, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

The former top Flyers prospect scored 20 goals and 44 points last season, before exploding for 41 goals and 69 points in his sophomore NHL season this year. We can reasonably assume that the next big milestone for Gauthier is going to be 50 goals, and players who can score that many don't come around too often.

And while that undoubtedly stings for the Flyers and Flyers fans, it may work out to their benefit yet.

We already know that Carlsson and his $18 million cap hit, thanks to the Flyers' offer sheet, is going to put the Anaheim Ducks in a major salary cap bind, and the structure of the contract will require the Ducks and their ownership to pay over $38 million in signing bonuses in the first 12 months of the contract.

What happens, then, when the Ducks dole out another big-money contract from Gauthier--which should come in well over $10 million, and potentially in the $15 million range now--especially if that contract is also laden in signing bonuses?

Insider: Flyers Planned Heist for NHL Superstar Before Leo Carlsson Offer SheetThe Philadelphia Flyers were hot in pursuit of Kirill Kaprizov, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, before the Minnesota Wild locked down the superstar forward.

That would mean Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek going to (a very wealthy) ownership and asking for their blessing to spend nearly $100 million in up-front cash in signing bonuses in a 12-month period, between the signing of the contract and this time next year.

Are the Ducks going to be allowed to do that, knowing that, by spending all that money, they won't have any left to allocate to actually build a good team that can win games, bring in revenue, and keep a fanbase engaged?

Rich people get rich for a reason, and they typically don't like to invest money into something that isn't going to make them more money, or at least take a very long time to do so.

And that's without even mentioning that the Ducks would have to gut their roster and somehow find suitors for some combination of Chris Kreider (Carlsson's left wing), Alex Killorn, and Frank Vatrano to make the hockey aspect work.

While he may not do so intentionally, Cutter Gauthier is very much in a position to land the team that drafted him into the NHL a No. 1 center of the future.

All he has to do is up the ask on his next contract a bit higher, and the Ducks will inevitably be forced to keep one or the other, but not both.

Expectations for the 2026-27 Pittsburgh Penguins are not quite as low as they were going into the 2025-26 season, when it was generally expected that they would not only be one of the worst teams in the NHL, but that they were the only team in the NHL that was not actually trying to win.

The expectations, however, are also not particularly high, even coming off a 98-point season with strong underlying numbers and a playoff berth.

This was, by almost every objective measure that we have to evaluate hockey teams, a very good hockey team.

The belief in that happening again is not really carrying over. Especially with the odds makers.

BetMGM has their Stanley Cup odds right now at +10000, which is 22nd in the entire NHL.

Their odds to win the Eastern Conference are +4000, which is 13th in the conference and below the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils … all teams that missed the playoffs entirely a year ago, and outside of Toronto, all teams that have done very little to their rosters this offseason.

They are +210 to make the playoffs, -275 to miss the playoffs.

Their point total is between 88.5 and 91.5 depending on the sportsbook you are looking at right now.

That is an expectation for a step back.

From a more subjective standpoint, the general feel around just seems to be that a step back is likely, and that not everything will go as well as it did a year ago. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson are all a year older. Some of them showed some signs of slowing down and running out of steam in the playoffs. At some point the decline for some of these guys will get a little steeper than it has been. I would argue it has already started for Letang. Will this be the year for some more of them? It is certainly possible.

Going into the 2025-26 season I thought there was at least a chance the Penguins were going to be better than everybody expected, especially given the makeup of the forward unit. And that was before we knew that Ben Kindel was going to be an NHL player — and a very good one! — right away.

So let’s take that same mindset into this season and if there is a pathway for them to better than most people expect.

The first factor here is the reality the Penguins still have $16.9 million in salary cap space at their disposal and a couple of months to still add to the roster. I don’t know if that is Jason Robertson or somebody else, but there is definitely still the path for a big move of some kind should they find the right match. I feel like the Robertson hope is dwindling more and more each day, but there is a definite opportunity to do something.

But even if there isn’t another big move, the most obvious pathway for another “better than expected” season rests with the forwards. Again.

Even with Anthony Mantha and Noel Accairi leaving, this should still be a very deep group that will be capable of rolling four lines every night and scoring a lot of goals. Going down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton I feel like there are legitimately 17 or 18 forwards that can play meaningful NHL minutes this season, and play them well enough to compete.

That includes, obviously, Sidney Crosby who is still a top-line player whose presence alone is going to give the Penguins a chance on most nights over an 82-game season.

But there are also the wild-card factors with the forwards and the potential improvement that could come from the younger-ish players in the lineup.

• How much better is a 19-year-old Ben Kindel with a full year of NHL experience under his belt? Is there a potential for a big breakout here? That changes the math for a lot of things.
• What does Egor Chinakhov look like in Pittsburgh in a full season? With a three-year, $18 million contract there is at least some belief from the front office. The talent is certainly there. That would also change the math.
• Does somebody like a Nicholas Robertson or Elmer Soderblom breakout the way Chinakhov did? The underlying numbers suggest at least some chance for it.
• I would even expand that a little to the defense and Kaedan Korczak, who spent the past few years excelling in a smaller role with the Vegas Golden Knights and could have a chance for a bigger role here.

There are some potentially high ceilings there.

As it relates to the latter point and Korczak, half of the defense has been turned over with Korczak, Declan Carlile and Trevor van Riemsdyk all joining the roster, along with a full season of Sam Girard. I am still a little bullish on Girard and want to see what a fresh start to the season does for him (especially if they can get him away from Letang), and I at least like the profile of the new additions. van Riemsdyk is rock solid defender, and has been for some time. The fact he was the first guy they signed in free agency, right after the signing period opened, is a good indication they had their eyes on him as a primary target.

The biggest weakness for the 2025-26 Penguins was their defensive play, and they did spend a lot of resources in overhauling that unit.

They finished the regular season 20th in expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, 23rd in scoring chances against and 22nd in high-danger scoring chances against.

There are a lot of new faces on that unit now, and it does not include the possibility of somebody like a Harrison Brunicke (who seemed to get better across the board as the season progressed) or Owen Pickering getting a chance.

The bigger X-factor, however, is going to be with the goalies, and there is arguably nothing that will impact the floor and ceiling of this team more than that. And it is something that was not particularly good over the full season a year ago.

They finished 24th in the league in all-situations save percentage, but were a little better in goals saved above expected (plus 10 saved above expected).

They seem fully on board with the Sergei Murashov and Arturs Silovs duo, and it is without question the biggest mystery and unknown on the roster. The upside is significant. The floor is low. You just never know how young goalies are going to play, and you just never know what that is going to look like over a full season and behind a questionable defense. I could see these guys being the reason they make the playoffs again and potentially go further. I could see them being the reason they unintentionally end up high on the lottery odds.

It is clearly not a team that thinks it is a Stanley Cup winner right now. But it is also a team with a real chance to exceed expectations again, even if there are a lot of unknown variables behind that.