Connor Bedard's contract negotiations have inadvertently influenced a $90 million deal for Leo Carlsson. The Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet for Carlsson, which was later matched by the Anaheim Ducks, was a result of a classic leverage play involving the Chicago Blackhawks phenom.
How Connor Bedard Factored Into Leo Carlsson's $90M Negotiations
Before the 2025-26 season even began, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek attempted to secure Carlsson on a long-term extension, reportedly offering the young center an eight-year contract worth $84 million, carrying an average annual value of $10.5 million. For most players entering their second NHL contract, that would have been an easy decision. Instead, Carlsson's agents, Matt and Ryan Keator, turned it down. Their reasoning had little to do with Anaheim's offer itself. They wanted to wait and see what Connor Bedard's next contract would look like before entering serious negotiations.
"Our focus was on (Connor) Bedard and seeing where that goes," Matt Keator told Elliotte Friedman. "And we told the Ducks that mid-June, we just said, hey, we've done a lot of research on the market. We've talked to them about the market, where we think it's going. And we want to wait and see where Bedard ends up and then basically negotiate from there."
The strategy made sense. Bedard and Carlsson were selected first and second overall, respectively, in the 2023 NHL Draft, making them natural comparables for contract negotiations. Carlsson's camp believed whatever extension Chicago eventually gave Bedard would establish the new benchmark for elite young centers around the league.
How the Market Changed Overnight
The plan, however, took an unexpected turn. Before Bedard and the Blackhawks could finalize a new contract, Flyers general manager Danny Briere stepped in with a blockbuster eight-year, $90 million offer sheet for Carlsson. Anaheim ultimately matched the deal, but the offer instantly reset Carlsson's market before Bedard had signed his own extension.
In hindsight, the Keator brothers' strategy worked even better than expected. By waiting instead of accepting Anaheim's initial offer, Carlsson secured a contract worth an additional $6 million a year and increased his annual salary from $10.5 million to $18 million.
What Comes Next?
As of this writing, Bedard remains unsigned and recently picked up an injury, which means Chicago will be without the face of the franchise when the puck drops on the new season. The injury, however, is not expected to hit pause on negotiations for his contract extension.
The Keators' comments also offer a rare look behind the scenes of modern NHL negotiations, where agents often monitor comparable players months in advance, knowing that one blockbuster deal can reshape the value of an entire draft class.
category: player_focus