The ongoing saga that is the Leo Carlsson offer sheet has seemingly taken a new twist. Hours after the Anaheim Ducks inked defenseman Pavel Mintyukov to a five-year, $36 million deal on Sunday, unconfirmed reports have sprung up about the organization matching the Flyers’ offer sheet for Carlsson.
The reports, which remain unsubstantiated at the time of this writing, suggest that the Ducks have indeed bitten the bullet and decided to keep their star center.
PuckPedia shows Leo Carlsson’s cap hit on Anaheim’s books, leaving the organization with a little under $10 million in cap space following the Mintyukov signing. Meanwhile, PuckPedia does not report Carlsson’s cap hit on the Philadelphia Flyers’ books.
The information suggests that the Ducks have matched the Carlsson offer sheet. Though that situation might just be an administrative issue at this time.
It’s an interesting turn of events considering that the move would have come on a Sunday evening, post July 4th celebrations. As such, there could be some sort of confirmation coming from either insiders or the organizations regarding the potential confirmation.
Again, this situation remains an unconfirmed report at this point, with social media showing some iffy reports. Since the Ducks still have until July 10 to match the Carlsson offer sheet, there is still some time for an official decision to come down the pipeline.
Social Media Provides Clue Regarding Outcome of Carlsson Offer Sheet
A cursory look at Leo Carlsson’s IG profile shows an update from July 4, in which the 21-year-old is practicing in his native country. An IG story shows Carlsson practicing in an empty arena wearing full Anaheim Ducks gear.
HeavyLeo Carlsson offer sheet speculation his a new level – Source: IG
Could that be a clue regarding the outcome of the Carlsson offer sheet?
If Carlsson were committed to the Flyers, why would he still be wearing Ducks regalia?
It’s an interesting thought, considering that Carlsson has technically signed with the Flyers. If the situation were in limbo, it wouldn’t seem likely that the star forward would be wearing Ducks gear.
Perhaps that’s just a tip-off to those paying attention regarding the situation with Carlsson and the Flyers.
Announcement May Still Be Days Away
If anything, one of the things that the Carlsson offer sheet has done for Pat Verbeek is buy some time. The Ducks don’t have to rush to match it, as they still have about five more days.
That could be enough time to figure out additional moves. If those moves pan out, the club can go ahead and announce the match. If they don’t, then the club can pass and take the compensation for Carlsson.
This Carlsson offer sheet has added some intense drama in what would otherwise be the beginning of the doldrums of the summer season for the NHL. There’s no question that this story will be a major talking point, even well after there’s an official resolution.
So, fans may have to wait a couple of extra days before learning about the outcome. But one thing is certain: The upheaval that the Carlsson offer sheet has caused will not go unnoticed. Its ripple effects will reverberate throughout the league.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Carlsson Offer Sheet Reportedly Matched by Ducks appeared first on HEAVY.