The Anaheim Ducks matched a five-year offer sheet extended to Leo Carlsson by the Philadelphia Flyers.
The contract, which boasts an average annual value of $18 million, will begin this upcoming season and last through the 2030-31 campaign.
The deal makes Carlsson, 21, the highest-paid player in the NHL.
“Matching the offer sheet was an easy decision, as [general manager] Pat [Verbeek] has intelligently left enough cap space to give us the ability to retain Leo,” Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli said.
“We have extremely high expectations for Leo. We firmly believe he will continue his strong growth trajectory and become one of the truly elite centers in the league, while continuing to make a strong impact in our community.”
Carlsson recorded 67 points in 70 games for Anaheim last season. His 29 goals were the second-most goals in a single season by a Ducks player 21 or younger.
“We are very happy to have Leo under contract for five years,” Verbeek said. “We have viewed Leo as a franchise player since the moment we met him prior to the 2023 draft. He’s a character person on and off the ice. Leo is viewed as a top player in this league, and it was always our intention to match any offer sheet.”
Anaheim selected Carlsson second overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, and he’s since appeared in 201 NHL games and earned 141 points.
In 12 postseason games, Carlsson recorded 11 points to lead all NHL players 21 and younger in postseason points and assists.
He was named to the Swedish Olympic team for Milano Cortina 2026, but did not play due to injury. He donned the Sweden jersey in the 2025 Four Nations Face-Off, and appeared in two World Championships and one World Junior Championship.
