The Philadelphia Flyers took perhaps the biggest swing of the offseason. In a move that is incredibly rare in the NHL, especially of late, the Flyers signed a restricted free agent to an offer sheet. That player was none other than Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson. The Flyers signed Carlsson to a five-year, $18 million per year offer sheet, which would have made him the richest player in the NHL. It was a giant move by general manager Danny Briere, who was looking to take an up-and-coming Flyers team to the next level.
The Ducks had seven days to match the offer sheet. If they didn't, they'd let Carlsson go to Philadelphia while receiving four first-round picks within the next five years. But on Thursday, the Ducks announced they officially matched the Flyers' offer sheet and signed Carlsson to the aforementioned five-year deal.
It was an aggressive move by the Flyers, but ultimately to no avail. Considering this is the most recent offer sheet attempt, how did the Flyers fare in previous attempts? Well, before the Carlsson offer sheet, there were three other instances in which the Flyers signed a restricted free agent to an offer sheet.
Flyers have more misses than hits with offer sheets
Chris Gratton (1997)
Back in 1997, former Flyers general manager Bobby Clarke decided he needed to make a splash to get one of the top young players at that time. That was none other than Chris Gratton, who was the former third-overall pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1993. Gratton was coming off of an incredible 1996-97 season, where he put up a total of 30 points and 32 assists in 82 games.
With Gratton hitting restricted free agency, the Flyers and Clarke signed him to an offer sheet worth $16.5 million over five years. The Lightning decided against matching it, meaning that the Flyers had to send four first-round picks over. The thing is, the two sides negotiated a trade, with Philadelphia keeping all four first-round picks, in exchange for Mikael Renberg and Karl Dykhuis.
Gratton did not pan out for the Flyers, as he didn't take that next step, matching his point total the year prior with 62. Then, 26 games into his second season, Gratton was sent back to Tampa Bay, with the Flyers getting Renberg back as part of the return.
It was a gamble that the Flyers realized quickly didn't pan out. If there is one thing, they can take solace in knowing they didn't give up four first round picks.
Ryan Kesler (2006)
The Flyers didn't attempt another offer sheet for almost 10 years after the Gratton swing and a miss. But in 2006, Philadelphia decided to make a run at restricted free agent for the Vancouver Canucks, Ryan Kesler.
Kesler only had two seasons under his belt, due to the lockout of the 2004-05 season. But after the 2005-06 season, where he put up 10 goals and 13 assists in 82 games. The Flyers and Clarke decided to sign Kesler to an offer sheet worth $1.9 million over one year. This was also the first time an offer sheet was signed since 1998 when the Detroit Red Wings matched the Carolina Hurricanes' offer sheet for Sergei Fedorov.
Ultimately, the Flyers watched the Canucks match the offer sheet, and become a pivotal piece of their core that eventually became Stanley Cup contenders and 2011 Western Conference Champions. Oh, and he had 246 goals and 299 assists to his credit over the following 13 seasons.
Shea Weber (2012)
Before Carlsson, the Flyers' last attempt at an offer sheet was back in 2012, as they attempted to get then-Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber. He solidified himself as a star for Nashville, making it to the All-Star Game three times in his first seven years in the NHL.
With Weber a restricted free agent, the Flyers and general manager Paul Holmgren decided to sign Weber to an offer sheet. The deal was massive, as the deal was worth $110 million over 14 years. An ESPN report at the time indicated that $56 million of that deal would be paid out through the first four years. Due to the size of that contract, the Flyers would have had to surrender four first-round picks in exchange.
While Philadelphia gave Nashville something to think about, the offer sheet was matched. It goes to show just how aggressive the Flyers were to bringing in a legitimate star on defense that time.
As for Weber, he would spend four more years with Nashville before being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens in the shocking one-for-one trade involving defenseman P.K. Subban. Weber played five years with Montreal, and would not play again due to injuries after the 2020-21 season. Weber was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024.
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