Anaheim Ducks star center Leo Carlsson commented on the pressure that comes with his new massive contract with the club.
Carlsson was given a five-year, $90 million offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers at the start of free agency that the Ducks matched, which made Carlsson the league’s highest-paid player with an $18 million-per-year cap hit.
That number has since been surpassed by Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche ($20.4 million) and Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks ($18.8 million), though both of their new deals kick in a year from now.
Therefore, Carlsson is the highest-paid player in the NHL this season, and that comes with a lot of pressure — but it’s not anything that Carlsson can’t handle.
Leo Carlsson Comments on Pressure of New Contract
Speaking to NHL.com, Carlsson reflected on the pressure that comes with the massive contract that he now has.
“There’s been pressure all the time since I got into the League. Getting drafted second overall (in the 2023 NHL Draft), some people thought I shouldn’t. There’s obviously a little more pressure now but it’s nothing that I can’t handle,” Carlsson said.
That being said, Carlsson admits that the fact that he makes so much money now is still something he has had trouble wrapping his head around at times.
“Yeah, because it was so unexpected, that’s why. I mean, (Cale) Makar, you know those guys are going to sign big contracts. We didn’t know (the Flyers) were going to offer sheet me like that. It’s special,” Carlsson said.
Leo Carlsson This Year
This past season, Carlsson scored 29 goals and had 67 points in 70 regular-season games, while adding four goals and 11 points in 12 postseason contests.
With his new deal now intact, the Ducks are going to hope that he improves that production quite a bit, as anything less than being a point-per-game player would be a disappointment.
The Ducks would love to see Carlsson score 40 goals and have 90 points this year, which could happen if he stays healthy and plays in all 84 regular-season games.
But regardless of how many points he gets, he swears he won’t be facing any pressure.
Leo Carlsson Comments on Pressure of Massive Ducks Contract