Flyers await Ducks’ Leo Carlsson decision, top 5 free agents still available

We are less than a week into free agency, and the 2026 NHL offseason has delivered some very entertaining storylines. From some ‘sticker shock’ on some of the free-agent contracts being handed out to middle-six forwards, to a wild offer sheet that’s turned the entire league on its head, it’s been as wild and whacky as we expected.

While there’s been hundreds of free agents who have signed on with a new team, or extended with their current club, there’s also still plenty of proven talent left on the open market. We’ll see some more signings trickle in over the next week or so, but needless to say, the action still continues.

Here’s the very latest from around the NHL.

Flyers awaiting Ducks decision on Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet

The Philadelphia Flyers sent the entire NHL into a frenzy last week, signing Anaheim Ducks restricted free-agent forward Leo Carlsson to a five-year offer sheet, worth a whopping $18 million AAV. This contract is going to make Carlsson the highest paid player in the league, regardless of if he’s a Flyer or a Duck for the next five seasons.

Flyers general manager Daniel Briere has swung for the fences here, in a move that completely shocked the entire NHL. The Flyers have over $29 million in cap space to work with, so they certainly can afford Carlsson’s massive cap hit on their books, but this was certainly a move that was very unexpected. It’s a hefty price if the Ducks decide not to match, as the Flyers would have to give up their next four first-round picks.

Carlsson didn’t have any arbitration rights coming off of his entry-level contract, so his only avenue of leverage in negotiations with the Ducks was through an offer sheet. The Ducks have until Friday, July 10, to match the offer if they want to retain Carlsson, and there’s even been some rumblings about the Ducks accepting the compensation and seeing what that could land if they decided to trade multiple first-round picks. As it stands right now, it sounds like the Ducks will be matching the Flyers offer.

Plenty of talent still available on free-agent market

Less than a week into free agency, most of the big names on the free-agent market have signed new contracts. However, there’s still plenty of talent available that can help clubs into next season and beyond. Here’s five of the best players available as of Monday, July 6:

Anthony Mantha: The Pittsburgh Penguins don’t appear to be interested in bringing back Mantha, who scored 33 goals for them last season. The towering winger turned back the clock last year, posting 64 points in 81 games, and is looking for a multi-year contract on his next deal. The Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Seattle Kraken appear to be front runners at this point.

Vladimir Tarasenko: The Russian winger isn’t the player he once was, but at 34 years old, he’s still a very effective middle-six winger. Tarasenko registered 23 goals, and 24 assists for 47 points in 75 games last season with the Minnesota Wild and is likely searching for a three-year contract on the open market. Winnipeg needs secondary scoring, same goes for the Kraken and Blue Jackets. Keep an eye on these three teams for Tarasenko’s next adventure.

Quick hits from around the NHL

• With another offer-sheet looming, the Ducks locked up defenceman Pavel Mintyukov to a five-year contract with a $7.2 million cap hit.
• The Jason Robertson saga continues in Dallas, as the star winger has filed for arbitration, along with 14 others. It certainly starting to feel like a contract extension is much more likely than a trade.
• Nashville Predators signed forward Mavrik Bourque to a six-year deal for $5.5 million AAV.
• Evander Kane, David Perron, John Klingberg, Logan Stanley, Michael Bunting and Eeli Tolvanen are the best of the rest when it comes to free-agent leftovers.
• Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard suffered an upper-body injury during a practice skate last week, so far, no word yet on how long Bedard will be out for. It didn’t look good.
• Montreal Canadiens inked goaltender Jakub Dobes to a three-year contract worth $5.3 million AAV. The Canadiens continue to discuss Sam Montembeault in trade talks.
• Alex Ovechkin is returning for another season, signing a one-year contract worth $4.25 million. The deal also contains a $4.75-million games-played bonus (10 games), which, if earned, would count against the cap in 2027-28.
• Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff put cold water on the Connor Hellebuyck trade fiasco, and it sounds like the former Vezina trophy winner will be returning to the Jets next season.

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