Philadelphia Flyers: Ryan Kesler and the 2006 offer sheet

It wouldn’t be the last time the Flyers tried an offer sheet. But they did it first back in 2006 with Ryan Kesler.

Signing players to offer sheets have become an unwritten rule in the NHL. You don’t do it. And teams have mostly followed that. The Flyers decided to change that up when they went after Ryan Kesler and the Vancouver Canucks.

Kesler, at the time, was 22-years-old and was a prized prospect on the Canucks roster. He was coming off his first full season in the NHL. He posted 10 goals and 23 points in 82 games. The season prior, he had appeared in 28 games and grabbed just five points.

Bobby Clarke, the Flyers GM at the time, defended the decision to throw out an offer sheet. It was the first in the NHL since 1999. So understandably, the Canucks were caught off guard by it.

"“We all have the same cap. We all operate in the same world. They had all summer to sign this guy. It was three days before training camp, he’s not signed, we’re going to lose [Keith] Primeau [to retirement], so we took a shot at getting another centre.”"

The offer sheet wasn’t much, just for one year at $1.9M. However, the Canucks were dangerously close to the cap ceiling at the time. It gave them a tough decision to make. It turned out to be an easy one as they would end up matching it. Had they not matched it, they would have received a second-round pick from the Flyers.

Kesler developed well with the Canucks. After an injury cut his second season in half, he went on to post five consecutive 20+ goals seasons. His best was by far the 2010-11 season where he posted a career-high 41 goals. Kesler would end up with the Selke Trophy at the end of that season as well.

The Flyers were a powerhouse during this time. They had five consecutive playoff appearances. They made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010, where they lost to the Blackhawks. That was the season Kesler put up 75 points during the regular season. That would have led the Flyers team that season.

He could have been the missing piece that ended up winning the Flyers the Stanley Cup that season. It’s hard to truly say that as Kesler wasn’t able to help the Canucks do that during his time there. He was never the true star of the team, though. He had both Daniel and Henrik Sedin in front of him in Vancouver.

There is a chance he could have become that star for the Flyers. He would have had a different role in Philly than he did for the Canucks. So It’s tough to say he puts up similar point totals. If he had, he would have been the team’s best player by a long shot.

He ended up staying with the Canucks until after the 2013-14 season. He moved on to the Anaheim Ducks, where he has spent the last five seasons. He missed the entire 2019-20 season due to right hip surgery. There is some doubt that he will be able to return to the NHL.

It wasn’t the last offer sheet the Flyers would toss out. This one would be minor in comparison to their next one. That one would come in 2012.