Could The Islanders Help The Ducks Solve Their Cap Crisis?
Could the Islanders help the Ducks navigate their growing cap crunch? A proposed Anthony Duclair-for-Alex Killorn swap could create flexibility for both teams.
The Anaheim Ducks are going through it right now.
The Philadelphia Flyers shocked the hockey world when they signed Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet carrying an $18 million average annual value.
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek put himself in this position when he publicly stated he would match any offer sheet for his 21-year-old franchise center.
As Verbeek weighed whether to match the deal or accept four first-round picks as compensation, teams around the league reportedly began exploring offer sheets for his young defenseman, Pavel Mintyukov.
Anaheim quickly took care of that, signing the 22-year-old to a five-year contract worth $7.2 million annually. A player signed to a contract is no longer offer-sheet eligible.
After that deal, the Ducks sit with just under $10 million in available cap space. Not only would matching Carlsson’s $18 million cap hit be impossible without significant maneuvering, but Anaheim also needs to sign restricted free-agent forward Cutter Gauthier, who just scored 41 goals.
And New York Islanders fans think they have cap problems…
The point is simple. Whether Carlsson stays or goes, Anaheim needs flexibility.
The Islanders may be able to help.