{"id":397771,"date":"2026-07-14T10:33:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T10:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/397771\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T10:33:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T10:33:08","slug":"carlssons-agent-fills-in-negotiation-timeline-with-ducks-verbeek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/397771\/","title":{"rendered":"Carlsson’s agent fills in negotiation timeline with Ducks, Verbeek"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the Flyers\u2019 announcement of the offer sheet on July 3, there had been criticisms thrown towards Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek here at The Sporting Tribune<\/a>, other outlets and around social media on his perceived handling of the situation.<\/p>\n

How had Verbeek allowed his franchise player to reach July 1 and the start of free agency without a contract? Why had the Ducks mishandled another core restricted free agent?<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until the Ducks matched the offer and signed Carlsson last Thursday and Verbeek addressed the media<\/a> that some clarity could be found.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made serious and fair offers (last September in training camp) as you saw that I was able to get Jackson LaCombe signed at that particular time,\u201d Verbeek said. \u201cWhen the season ended, I immediately picked up discussions with Matt Keator, who’s Leo’s agent, and continued to talk all the way until July 1. I think it was probably three or four days before July 1, I felt that I was getting slow-walked to July 1, and from that point, I informed ownership that there could be a possible offer sheet coming our way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli said it was an \u201ceasy decision\u201d to match the signing bonus-laden deal, and to Verbeek and Carlsson\u2019s credit, they both called it business and water under the bridge.<\/p>\n

But was Verbeek\u2019s statement simply saving face and shifting blame to Carlsson\u2019s agent? Was it still not Verbeek\u2019s fault that a deal did not get done before July 1, which opened Carlsson to those predatory offer sheets?<\/p>\n

According to Carlsson\u2019s agent, no, not in the slightest.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis whole process was basically our decision in terms of going this direction,\u201d Matt Keator said. \u201cI know Anaheim did everything they could to get them signed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ducks were aggressively trying to sign Leo all the way along. That\u2019s their job,\u201d Matt Keator said. \u201cIf anything, we didn\u2019t allow them to do their job because we weren\u2019t engaging (during the season) because we wanted to get to after the season and have our postseason meeting with Leo.\u201d<\/p>\n

From their side of Verbeek\u2019s training camp negotiations and a desire to gauge the soon-to-be rising marketplace, to the tabling of contract talks midseason to the offer sheet that left Carlsson \u201cspeechless,\u201d the Keators filled in gaps and corroborated the established timeline from Verbeek.<\/p>\n

Here is a walkthrough of the 10 month-long saga that brought Carlsson to staying in Anaheim as the highest-paid player in the NHL:<\/p>\n

September 2025: Ducks make first offer<\/p>\n

Just as Verbeek had wrapped up another long and arduous restricted free agent negotiation with Mason McTavish, the Ducks looked ahead to a critical RFA crop in the next offseason with Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe, Cutter Gauthier and Pavel Mintyukov among those needing to be locked in.<\/p>\n

Over the negotiations with McTavish along with Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale before him, Verbeek and assistant GM Jeff Solomon had garnered a reputation for grinding down their RFAs with these dragged-out affairs into training camp.<\/p>\n

With so many high-profile RFAs on the docket, Anaheim couldn\u2019t afford to take those kind of talks into the summer, and they didn\u2019t. Five days after McTavish\u2019s deal, LaCombe signed an eight-year, $9 million-per-season contract\u2013the largest total value contract in Ducks history at $72 million.<\/p>\n

\u201cJackson’s the first domino to fall,\u201d Verbeek said then. \u201cWe’re working on other stuff as well, so we’ll see what happens. As last week (with McTavish), things can change pretty quickly, so we’ll just keep getting after it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his conversation with Carlsson\u2019s agent on Monday, Friedman reported that Verbeek\u2019s ensuing offer to Carlsson was \u201cin the range\u201d of eight years, $10.5 million per season, which would set the record again for largest total value contract in Ducks history at $80 million.<\/p>\n

While the Ducks looked to work fast, it wasn\u2019t time yet for Carlsson\u2019s camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an offer we\u2019re quick to turn down right away,\u201d Matt Keator said. \u201cIt\u2019s not for their lack of trying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryan Keator said they wanted to do more research, particularly into comparable players in respect to percentage of the salary cap. With over $9.5 million increases to the salary cap projected for the next two seasons, a team-friendly number in the preseason is not (and would not be) what the marketplace could produce later on.<\/p>\n

Plus, beyond just the Ducks crop of RFAs, there were more specifically in Carlsson\u2019s draft class with 2023 No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard of Chicago and 2023 No. 3 overall pick Adam Fantilli of Columbus.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow listen, $80 million is a lot of money. We understand that,\u201d Matt Keator said. \u201cWe get that, but we\u2019re living in a marketplace\u2026 and every contract that a player signs affects others around him.\u201d<\/p>\n

November 2025: Ducks continue pursuit, but agents hold off<\/p>\n

Verbeek continued to pursue talks with Carlsson\u2019s camp, but the Keators continued to put up a stop sign, as the Keators presentations to Leo and his family about what the market could look like.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was our decision, not the Ducks,\u201d Matt Keator said about stalling talks. \u201cThey were definitely very tenacious on us and talking to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ducks knew that Carlsson\u2019s stock could continue to rise, which meant an earlier and longer deal would be better for their purposes. On the other side, the Keators knew the same and tried to maximize what Leo could be worth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are still trying to figure out what Leo was as a player,\u201d Ryan Keator said. \u201cHe was 20 at the time, then had turned 21. So, still seeing that growth from him throughout the year too had us a little bit hesitant to do a longer-term deal at that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

January 2026: Talks tabled<\/p>\n

Just 10 days removed from surgery for Carlsson to repair a thigh lesion that forced him out of the Winter Olympics for Sweden and 12 regular-season games for the Ducks, Verbeek was interviewed at intermission on Victory+ and was asked where talks stood with Carlsson and Gauthier midway through the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot anywhere really,\u201d Verbeek said. \u201cWe\u2019ve kind of tabled all that stuff. We want their focus to be on the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a sentiment that was echoed by Carlsson and Gauthier at various points going forward and Keator when looking back on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made the decision to table it \u2018till after the season,\u201d Matt Keator said. \u201cLeo didn\u2019t look back. He said, okay, I\u2019m going to play hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n

All sides were seemingly on the same page, but again, Keator reiterated most of the resistance was coming from his side of the desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ducks were aggressively trying to sign Leo all the way along. That\u2019s their job,\u201d Keator said. \u201cIf anything, we didn\u2019t allow them to do their job because we weren\u2019t engaging because we wanted to get to after the season and have our postseason meeting with Leo.\u201d<\/p>\n

May 2026: Ducks season ends, but talks still on hold<\/p>\n

Less than 24 hours after Anaheim was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, the Ducks went through their exit interviews with assembled media. Verbeek wanted to get right to work, but in retrospect, it sounded like he knew what was ahead of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a perfect scenario, I\u2019d like to get them done in a week here,\u201d Verbeek said of Carlsson and Gauthier. \u201cI\u2019d like to get it done as soon as possible, but we all have to cooperate with one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

As neither had really gotten in the headspace of thinking about what was to come in their summer negotiations between losing to Vegas the night before, sleeping and arriving to Great Park Ice the next morning, Carlsson and Gauthier both said, \u201cWe\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Carlsson signed last week, Verbeek said that he immediately picked up discussions with Keator when the season ended.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Keator said they were still in a holding pattern at that moment, as they waited to see how Carlsson\u2019s peers fared in the market, specifically Bedard.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur plan was to wait and see where Bedard ended up,\u201d Keator said. \u201cWe\u2019ll let Bedard set the market, and then we\u2019ll negotiate from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carlsson\u2019s camp was saying no to Verbeek\u2019s negotiation attempts.<\/p>\n

June 30-July 3, 2026: The lead-up to the offer sheet<\/p>\n

The key point to Verbeek\u2019s defense was the idea that Carlsson\u2019s agent was holding out to July 1, which opened up the opportunity to be signed to offer sheets.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Keator and I) continued to talk all the way until July 1,\u201d Verbeek said, \u201cand I think it was probably three or four days before July 1, I felt that I was getting slow walked to July 1, and from that point, I informed ownership that there could be a possible offer sheet coming our way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keator was slow-playing Verbeek, but as noted, it wasn\u2019t for offer sheets. It was waiting to see where Bedard landed with Chicago. (Bedard remains unsigned with the Blackhawks, and is out four months following shoulder surgery.)<\/p>\n

According to Keator, offer sheets didn\u2019t enter the picture until June 30, when teams could begin to contact restricted free agents ahead of the July 1 free agency date. Keator said seven or eight teams immediately inquired with four ready to make offers.<\/p>\n

Carlsson\u2019s camp narrowed it down to two, but it was the Flyers\u2019 offer that grabbed the attention.\u201cWe did have discussions with the Ducks that day, and said this could be coming into play,\u201d Keator said. \u201cOn July 1, we sent Leo the contract offer in writing, and he was speechless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carlsson and his family were overwhelmed by the deal, with the NHL-high $18 million annual value and the front-loaded signing bonus structure. Over $85 million of the total $90 million of the contract comes from signing bonuses, including an immediate $19.95 million signing bonus.<\/p>\n

Verbeek knew an offer sheet was in the cards\u2013Friedman reported on July 2 that Verbeek would match any offer sheet to Carlsson\u2013but he too was initially blown away by Philadelphia\u2019s offer. It was a far cry from the $10.5 million per season he had reportedly offered in September.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid we expect the offer sheet to be this high? No,\u201d Verbeek said. \u201cNo, we did not see that one coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verbeek said he spoke with Keator the morning of July 2 and later that afternoon there was the offer sheet. Friedman had reported that Verbeek offered $12.5 million and Keator countered with $15 million. The Ducks reportedly said no, and Carlsson\u2019s camp accepted that $18 million offer sheet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was kind of like an offer that I think 99 (percent) of everybody would sign too,\u201d Carlsson said last week. \u201cChanged my family and all that, too. It’s a pretty simple answer there, but I always want to be here too. So, I just really hope they would match.\u201d<\/p>\n

It would be a long six days for Carlsson to see if he would be swapping out Ducks orange for Flyers orange, but it truly was\u2013yes, here comes the Godfather reference\u2013an offer he couldn\u2019t refuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s more like when you see that number, it’s hard to say no,\u201d Carlsson said.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

July 9, 2026: Carlsson is a Duck<\/p>\n

At that point, the decision was no longer in Carlsson\u2019s hands, and the Ducks had seven days to decide whether to match the Flyers\u2019 offer sheet or receive Philadelphia\u2019s next four first-round picks as compensation.<\/p>\n

Keator said that talks and emails were exchanged with Anaheim over the course of the week, but unlike the rest of the timeline, he kept that private on Monday.<\/p>\n

After discussing the potential compensation, calling around the league and going over the bonus structure with ownership, Verbeek made the decision to match the deal on the sixth day, and Carlsson was officially remaining a Duck.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went through our due diligence,\u201d Verbeek said. \u201cThe more discussions that we had, it became an easier decision. It was speaking to us that we need to match the offer sheet.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the resolution to \u201cprobably the weirdest week\u201d in Carlsson\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust super relieved,\u201d Carlsson said. \u201cMy mom is relieved too. Obviously, she’s been stressing for a while now, this week too. It\u2019s super nice to get done. Super happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, this has demonstrated in full each side of the negotiation process that, most of the time, the public doesn\u2019t get to hear about.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a lot of business in hockey,\u201d Carlsson said. \u201cI knew it, obviously, but it was just a lot more business that I thought, too\u2026 I think (Verbeek) understands my decision too, when he saw the number. No hard feelings between us right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verbeek said he doesn\u2019t begrudge Carlsson\u2019s camp for taking the offer sheet route. He acknowledged it\u2019s their collectively bargained right, and as a former player, he understands the \u201cexcitement to have a chance to determine your destiny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that this whole thing has been worked through,\u201d Verbeek said. \u201cMy feelings for Leo haven’t changed since the day that we drafted him. The business at hand is taken care of, and now, the both of us are looking forward to building off the season that we had last year, and towards winning a Stanley Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keator said that everyone is moving forward, especially as he could have more work with Verbeek this summer. (Keator\u2019s other clients including Chris Kreider and Alex Killorn, both of whom Keator said know their situations can change following Carlsson\u2019s contract.)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think a lot of the Ducks and how they\u2019ve handled (the Carlsson talks),\u201d Keator said.<\/p>\n

Verbeek has plenty of business left to handle this summer now that this saga is behind him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From the Flyers\u2019 announcement of the offer sheet on July 3, there had been criticisms thrown towards Ducks…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":397772,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[7504,163,824,165,164,28086,401,1716,159756,896,100,404,155519,14932,2067,1722],"class_list":["post-397771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-agent","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-ducks","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-free-agency","tag-hockey","tag-leo-carlsson","tag-matt-keator","tag-national-hockey-league","tag-news","tag-nhl","tag-offer-sheet","tag-pat-verbeek","tag-philadelphia-flyers","tag-tst-los-angeles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=397771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/397772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=397771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=397771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=397771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}