The indisputable main storyline of the Philadelphia Flyers' offseason was the Leo Carlsson offer sheet. There’s no doubt that Daniel Briere swung for the upper deck. And for a minute, the ball almost landed there.
Unfortunately, it was nothing more than a long, loud out.
But now that we’ve had a few weeks to process everything that’s happened, the fact is that the Flyers are better off without Leo Carlsson.
It’s not that Carlsson is a bad player. It’s certainly not that Carlsson wouldn’t have helped the Flyers. It’s just that the cap hit would have been a significant stumbling block.
Had the Flyers taken on Carlsson’s $18 million cap hit, the organization would have had to make some tough choices. Those choices could have come at the expense of rising stars like Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras.
Instead of having $13 million in cap space at this point in the offseason, Philly would have been handcuffed, with few options to round out the roster.
Yes, the cap crunch would have lasted just the one season. But that situation could have materially changed the outlook for the Flyers’ next three to five seasons.
Flyers forced Ducks to swallow poisoned pill
There is no question that the Carlsson contract is a poisoned pill. Even if Carlsson lives up to every penny of it, the cap hit basically trashed the Ducks’ cap structure.
And it would have hampered the Flyers’ cap structure, too.
Instead, the Flyers managed to throw a massive spanner in Anaheim’s machinery. The ramifications of that move won’t be too significant for Philly since both clubs play in different conferences.
The move, nonetheless, is the type of situation that shifts the balance of power throughout the league. The Ducks could face a situation where their status as an up-and-coming contender could be truncated because of the offer sheet.
That’s not going to happen to the Flyers. The Flyers are actually positioned to become one of the NHL’s youngest, most talented teams to emerge as an incipient power.
What’s next for Philly?
There has been plenty of chatter surrounding the Flyers and a potential Adam Fantilli offer sheet. However, that talk hasn’t gotten very far. The prevailing narrative posits that Daniel Briere and the Flyers won’t be heading down that route twice in the same offseason. That’s why the next step for Philly could be to sit and wait. At this point, having assets and cap space is crucial in positioning the team for a massive move.
Perhaps the move won’t come until well into the season. But if there is an opportunity to land a high-end piece (Quinn Hughes?), the Flyers will be in a position to throw their hat in the ring.
It’s tough to fathom which players could become available during the season. While we have an inkling of which players could hit the market, the main point here is to have the dry powder necessary to make something happen.
That’s why the Flyers are essentially better off without Leo Carlsson.
But it’s also worth keeping in mind that things could change. And who knows if Carlsson won’t end up in Philly at some point down the line.
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