Welcome to the new NHL of weaponized offer sheets: Duck's Future Overview
As we wait and see what Pat does with Leo, I wanted to see what the actual impact of signing signing has on the Ducks. I feel like this offer sheet on the Ducks could be the tipping point that removes the narrative/expectations around the league surrounding offer sheets, and we see it become something that teams strategically use to get players to bring in or create cap nightmares for other teams. We have already seen that teams are paying top dollar for their players out of RFA; bridge deals at lower AAVs become less and less prevalent.
Here's a breakdown of what Anaheim is looking at in 2028, assuming it's a $123M cap. I projected $12 million for Cutter and $10 million for Beckett (obviously could be less or more) and included the rest of the guys that are signed through the 2028/2029 season
2028/2029 Duck Roster - per Puckpedia
| Contract AAV | Per Salary of $123M Cap |
|---|---|
| Leo Carlsson | $18,000,000 |
| Cutter Gauthier | $12,000,000 |
| Beckett Sennecke | $10,000,000 |
| Jackson LaCombe | $9,000,000 |
| Pavel Mintyukov | $7,200,000 |
| Troy Terry | $7,000,000 |
| A.J. Greer | $4,250,000 |
| Ryan Poehling | $3,750,000 |
| Jeff Malott | $1,850,000 |
| Lukas Dostal | $6,500,000 |
| Total | $79,550,000 |
So, here's the problem -
$79,550,000 core commitment and leaves the Ducks with exactly $42,450,000 to fill the remaining 14 roster spots.
The Average Space: $3,032,142 per player for the rest of the lineup........
In 2028, NHL players will be looking for increases in salary in all positions. The Ducks have no second pair's defence, which demands 7–10 million, while the Ducks also don't have a third pairing, which will demand 2–5 million. Additionally, the Ducks would need to pay between two and five million dollars per player for the third and fourth lines and beyond. That said, I am just putting numbers that I could see the NHL being, so obviously take it with a grain of salt, and it probably will be different.
Curious what others think about the whole situation and some players that could be targeted in the future. Overall Pat should be fired for the blunder.