Leo Carlsson isn't going anywhere.
The Anaheim Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers' five-year, $90-million offer sheet for the star center, the team announced Thursday.
Carlsson's $18-million average annual value makes him the NHL's highest-paid player for the 2026-27 campaign, besting Kirill Kaprizov's $17-million AAV.
The Ducks had until Friday to match. They would've received four first-round picks as compensation if they let him walk.
"We are very happy to have Leo under contract for five years," general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. "We have viewed Leo as a franchise player since the moment we met him prior to the 2023 draft. He's a character person on and off the ice. Leo is viewed as a top player in this league, and it was always our intention to match any offer sheet."
Carlsson, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, is coming off a breakout year in which he tallied 67 points in 70 games. He added 11 points in 12 playoff appearances, helping Anaheim pull off an upset over the two-time reigning Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers in Round 1.
The 21-year-old possesses a rare blend of size (6-foot-3, 208 pounds), speed, and offensive ability.
The Ducks have matched the Flyers' offer sheet for Leo Carlsson. The young centre will have a $18M cap hit for the next five seasons. pic.twitter.com/JOwRCkMnca
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 9, 2026
"Matching the offer sheet was an easy decision, as Pat has intelligently left enough cap space to give us the ability to retain Leo," Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli said. "We have extremely high expectations for Leo. We firmly believe he will continue his strong growth trajectory and become one of the truly elite centers in the league while continuing to make a strong impact in our community."
Anaheim is left with just over $9 million in cap space and still has to sign fellow restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier, who is not eligible for an offer sheet. Gauthier, 22, led the Ducks with 41 goals and 69 points last season and could command nearly all of the team's remaining cap space.
