Flyers tender offer sheet to Leo Carlsson and reportedly sign Claude Giroux in the span of a few minutes
Ducks center Leo Carlsson celebrates his empty-net goal during the third period of Game 6 of their first-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers on April 30, 2026, at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A day after Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said that the organization could be taking a step back, he is definitely changing his mind and putting his foot on the gas.
The Flyers have tendered an offer sheet of five years and $90 million to Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson on Friday afternoon. The deal carries an average annual value of $18 million a year.
The Ducks now have seven days to match the deal. If the Ducks do not match, the Flyers will send Anaheim four future first-round draft picks (2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030). Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Ducks will match any offer that they receive for Carlsson.
If the Ducks do not match, Carlsson will become the highest-paid player in NHL history. The risk is huge for Philadelphia. Giving up four first-round picks that could or could not be lottery selections could hurt them.
Selected No. 2 overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, Carlsson has been one of the most promising young centers in the league. The 21-year-old is coming off 29 goals and 67 points in 70 games last season. The Flyers need consistency in the middle of the ice, and this move would provide that.
The Swede so far has 141 points in 201 career games so far. He had 11 points in 12 playoff games in the 2025-26 season. The Ducks were eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.
Carlsson was second on the team last season in both goals and points behind former Flyer Cutter Gauthier, and it looked like an extension was going to be imminent for him and the Ducks. Instead, the Flyers came in with vengeance.
The Flyers lacked a true superstar last season, with Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, and Matvei Michkov all finishing with 50 or more points. Carlsson is a 70-point player.
The Flyers’ history with the Ducks keeps continuing. They traded Gauthier for Jamie Drysdale in 2024. They traded for Trevor Zegras in 2025. Now, this news just adds to the business both teams have had over the past several years.
This is the fifth offer sheet signed by a restricted free agent since 2020. This will be the largest unmatched offer since 1998 if Carlsson were to sign.
In other Flyers news, in about the span of ten minutes, “G” is back.
According to David Pagnotta of TheFourthPeriod, the Flyers are signing Claude Giroux. No details were yet announced about the length of the contract or the money.
Giroux is one of the best players in Flyers history and was the team captain for just over nine years.
Giroux returns to Philadelphia after just four years. At the 2022 trade deadline, he was traded to the Florida Panthers whilst the Flyers began their rebuild, as the Panthers were pushing for a Stanley Cup. Now that the Flyers are back in playoff action and that Briere has put together a fantastic group of young talent, Giroux makes perfect sense for a veteran who will fit right in with the current core.
After his half-season with Florida, Giroux spent four seasons with the Ottawa Senators. In 82 games in the 2025-26 season, he scored 14 times and assisted 35 for 49 points. He can still play. He racked up 242 points with Ottawa in 327 games. Although he wasn’t the same as he used to be, he could still rack up 40-45 points.
The Flyers needed another veteran to pair with Sean Couturier, and Giroux will bring his storied legacy back to where it all started.
Andrew Glover
Andrew is in his first year covering sports for Philly Sports Reports. He is a podcaster and a digital content creator. Right now, he is in his second semester at Temple University pursuing a degree in Media Studies and Production. He has a certificate in Broadcast Journalism from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
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