How the Flyers' offer sheet for Leo Carlsson can impact Connor Bedard's next Blackhawks contract
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A recurring storyline for the Chicago Blackhawks is what star center Connor Bedard's next contract will look like.
The Blackhawks got an inkling of what that contract might look like, thanks to the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Flyers made a bold move on Friday, and it's a move that might impact the Blackhawks' contract negotiations with Connor Bedard.
The backstory:
Philadelphia tendered a lucrative five-year, $90 million offer sheet to Anaheim center Leo Carlsson on Friday. If the Ducks don't match this offer sheet, it would require Flyers to send their next first-round draft picks in each of the next four seasons to Anaheim as compensation.
"The Philadelphia Flyers have tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson," Flyers' general manager Daniel Briere said in a statement. "The offer is a five-year contract worth an average annual value (AAV) of $18M, which would require four of the Flyers first-round draft picks in each of the next four seasons as compensation."
This means Flyers are prepared to pay Carlsson, a Karlstad, Sweden, native, the highest annual salary at $18 million since the salary cap era began in 2005.
The Ducks have seven days to match the offer. They also have seven days to exercise their right of first refusal on the player, according to the NHL collective bargaining agreement.
Carlsson is a 21-year-old rising talent, who was taken right behind Bedard as the No. 2 overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft.
He recorded 29 goals, 38 assists and 67 points in 70 games in this past season with the Ducks. He also recorded 11 points in 12 playoff games to help lead Anaheim to the second round.
What we don't know:
Will another team make a move as bold as the Flyers have and sign Bedard to an offer sheet?
If they do, will the Blackhawks match? The answer will most likely be a yes.
The Blackhawks need Bedard. He's getting better every season, and is coming off a 2025-26 season where he recorded 75 points on 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games.
He also has the desire to take the next step in the Blackhawks' rebuild.
"This kind of has to be the last year of – obviously the games aren’t meaningless – but not playing until the end of the year," Bedard said on April 16, "Playing for something in the Playoff standings."
The Blackhawks have missed the playoffs in eight of the last nine NHL seasons.
Bedard has reiterated his desire to stay in Chicago and win games with the Blackhawks.
"I think all our guys are ready to make that push," Bedard said.
The Blackhawks will have to make that push with Bedard on a new contract extension. It's just unknown how expensive that contract will be.
Will this Carlsson offer sheet set the market for Bedard, as well as other young NHL starts like Adam Fantilli and Cutter Gauthier? Or is it just an isolated development that doesn't impact the other three?
Time will tell.
What we know:
The Blackhawks have already tendered Bedard a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent on June 30. They've been in negotiations with him over a new contract for a while now.
He was already expected to receive one of the more substantial salary-cap hits of this NHL offseason, and the Carlsson news sets the market for a potential contract and what Bedard could make.
On paper, Bedard has every right to ask for the same cap hit Carlsson is making, if not more.
So far in his career, Carlsson has 141 points (61 goals, 80 assists) in 201 regular-season games with the Ducks.
Bedard has more points (203), goals (75) and assists (128) than Carlsson.
It's not a contest. Both are great players. But, if the Flyers are willing to pay Carlsson $18 million a year, then Bedard has a line in the sand he can draw during negotiations if he wants.
After free agency opened on Wednesday, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said he did not have an update on Bedard's contract extension.
He did, however, say that he's willing to be aggressive if it means he gets to land the player he believes in.
"I believe there's young pieces and players that we truly do believe in that we think can be serious impact contributors in the NHL," Davidson said on Wednesday. "We're excited to see them continue to grow."
The Source: Reporting is from FOX Chicago, information on Carlsson's offer sheet is from the Philadelphia Flyers.