Flyers D-Man Has Bold Take on the Leo Carlsson Offer Sheet

The league is looking at the Philadelphia Flyers, with many general managers not overly thrilled with what Daniel Briere did to drastically change the market. His offer sheet attempt on Leon Carlsson moved salaries into a new stratosphere, and the result has been big money going out the door to players who have more control than ever at a young age. While other teams are dealing with the fallout, one Flyers player is good with the message the move sent.

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Jami Drysdale spoke this week about what the Flyers are doing and said on the offer sheet on Carlsson:“I think everyone within our locker room and everyone that wasn’t in our locker room probably had the same reaction.” He added, “It was obviously a big splash, and it shows our team, our management, everyone is looking to add and everyone is committed — guys in the locker room, guys up top, guys in management — that we are trying to make this work with our group and add where we can. I think the confidence is there and we showed last year we can be a team and make a splash.”

The Flyers certainly made a splash. The question becomes: was it a good splash?

Briere didn’t get his guy, but he disrupted the league and created chaos for teams like the Anaheim Ducks, Drysdale’s former club. The Ducks are going to have trouble fitting everyone in, and the most recent news is that Cutter Gauthier has turned down $13 million per season over 4 years, waiting for a bigger payday. It could ultimately cause a rift between the player and the team, or the player and the fanbase.

Jonny Lazarus on the Morning Cuppa Hockey Podcast had an interesting take on everything that’s going on between the Ducks and Gauthier. He noted, ‘Players can ask what they want. They can feel they deserve a certain amount. I think Cutter is worth this number.” He added, “Fans care more about the team than they do about the player. They want to see a winning team. So Cutter Gauthier want his money, great. You’re going to screw over our team & then if you don’t live up to that money we’re gonna f—ing hate you. So that’s where the disconnect comes with the fans.’

In essence, what Drysdale was talking about wasn’t just the splash it made for the Flyers. While Briere’s actions showed the team is willing to do whatever it takes to get better, they also showed Philly isn’t afraid to throw a Carlsson-sized boulder into the water and watch the ripples affect everyone.

Will the Flyers’ moves pay off? They had a solid run last season, but they haven’t really improved their team over the summer. The biggest move, arguably, was adding Joseph Woll from the Toronto Maple Leafs. That’s not exactly a big splash that directly improves the team.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Canadiens, Maple Leafs & the Oilers’ Fall