The Anaheim Ducks are now one of the biggest stories of the NHL offseason. They are already dealing with new contracts for several young restricted free agents. At the same time, the Philadelphia Flyers have added pressure by giving Leo Carlsson a big offer sheet.

Other teams are also watching Anaheim closely because of Pavel Mintyukov and their salary-cap situation. In a post on X, NHL insider Kevin Weekes said that many NHL teams are interested in young defenseman Pavel Mintyukov. He added that Anaheim's strong group of forwards and defensemen has made teams look more closely at Mintyukov as a possible trade target.

“With @AnaheimDucks being loaded with talent up front and on the back end, I'm told ‘several teams are crunching numbers and checking in on D Mintyukov as well,” he wrote.

The Flyers gave Carlsson a five-year offer sheet worth $18 million per year. The Anaheim Ducks have time until July 10 to match it. If they refuse, the Flyers will send them a first-round pick in each of the next four NHL Drafts as compensation.

The offer includes a five-year, $18 million AAV contract, with the Flyers owing first-round draft picks in each of the next four years as compensation.

At 22, Mintyukov is seeking a new contract, and his camp has reportedly been contacted by several interested teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. Sources told TFP that the Ducks and Mintyukov's agent re-engaged in contract talks earlier today, even as outside interest remains active.

Meanwhile, Carlsson's huge offer has put the Ducks under a lot of pressure. They must now decide how to build the team for the future while dealing with one of the biggest contract offers in NHL history.

Mintyukov Draws Trade Interest as Ducks Face Roster Decisions

Carlsson scored 29 goals and 67 points in 70 regular-season games. He also added 11 points in the playoffs and has become one of Anaheim's most important players. So, general manager Pat Verbeek and the team now have a big decision to make.

The ESPN report by Ryan S. Clark said that Pavel Mintyukov is one of three key restricted free agents for the Anaheim Ducks, along with Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier.

The report added that Anaheim entered the offseason knowing it must sign these young players while still keeping enough salary-cap space.

With Carlsson’s future now unclear because of the offer sheet, talk about other young Ducks players may increase. The decision on Carlsson could also affect how the team plans the rest of its offseason moves.

Will the Ducks match the Flyers' offer and keep the young core? Let us know in the comments. 

Read more at the NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar