The Leo Carlsson sweepstakes wasn't meant to be for the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite tendering an offer sheet for the former second-overall pick, it wasn't enough to deter the Ducks from stepping up to prevent him from leaving. The Anaheim Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet, handing over $18 million a year to keep Carlsson for the next five years.
After the failed offer sheet attempt, Daniel Briere, the Flyers' General Manager, released a statement saying, "While the result isn't what we had hoped for, our goal does not change - we remain committed to pursuing every opportunity that will strengthen our team and continue to build towards being a consistent and perennial contender without sacrificing our future."
While the offer sheet wasn't successful, it wasn't a bad move. But with the way the off-season is shaking out, it puts an emphasis on a Plan B, and whether or not Briere has one. With more eyes on the Flyers' lineup now than ever before, he'll have to find another Carlsson-type player to fit the bill. The question is, who could that be?
Building off the Round 1 victory
A Stanley Cup wasn't meant to be this season for the Philadelphia Flyers, but a second-round exit is nothing to scoff at. It was a pleasant surprise for the team to make it that far, ultimately losing to the Stanley Cup champs. The playoff run injected some energy into Flyers fans, as did the early off-season moves to add Joseph Woll and Simone Benoit.
Now, the offer sheet rejection leaves the Flyers in a bit of a tricky spot. How do they build towards the future without that first-line center?
Take a big swing with another offer sheet
The boldest option for Briere is to go big on another offer sheet, this time on Connor Bedard. With Carlsson's offer sheet on the table, rumors were circling around the Blackhawks star forward, drafted one spot ahead of Carlsson. Though Friedman said it didn't look like there would be one tendered to Bedard, he is still on the market and not yet locked down by the Blackhawks.
Would Bedard accept an offer sheet to the Flyers? Not if his relationship with the Blackhawks is as strong as it seems. It would still show that Briere means business when it comes to building the Flyers for the future. He's already opened himself up to retaliation; he may as well make it worthwhile.
Solidify the current lineup
A slightly quieter, yet important next step for Briere would be to lock down some of the Flyers' existing free agents. Trevor Zegras, who joined the Flyers last season, is one of the top restricted free agents out there. Coming off the highest points-producing season of his career, he'll certainly be worth more than his previous deal of $5.7 million per season. But without Carlsson's $18 million a season, there's certainly room to build for the future with Zegras.
A contract for defender Jamie Drysdale should also be a priority, even if the Flyers' biggest gap is up front.
Briere has opened himself and the Flyers up to scrutiny with this offer sheet, and he needs to make something else stick, or he'll be left with the off-season legacy of a failed attempt to improve an exciting young team.
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