Mintyukov deal – Pavel Mintyukov and the Anaheim Ducks agreed to a five-year, $36 million contract with a $7.2 million cap hit, but the signing tightens the same salary-cap squeeze that could decide the fate of Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet and future negotiations with Cutter Gau
Sunday ended with good news for the Anaheim Ducks’ blue line—then immediately with a new problem for the man tasked with solving it.
Pavel Mintyukov, a restricted free agent, finalized a five-year, $36 million contract with the Ducks. The deal carries a $7.2 million cap hit. For Anaheim, it locks in one of its top young defencemen at a moment when the roster is already under pressure from big money decisions.
Mintyukov is 22 and came into the league with a rookie season that produced 28 points. The two seasons since haven’t surpassed that mark, but the Ducks still moved to secure him long term, making him the second-highest-paid defenceman on the team behind Jackson LaCombe.
That matters because Anaheim is still staring at an offer sheet situation involving centre Leo Carlsson. Carlsson signed a five-year. $90 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers last week—an agreement that would make him the highest-paid player in the NHL at $18 million AAV per season. The Ducks have until Friday to match the offer sheet or let Carlsson leave for Philadelphia in exchange for four first-round draft picks.
Now the numbers turn sharper. With Mintyukov officially in the fold. Anaheim would have $9. 973. 395 in cap space if it chooses to match Carlsson’s contract. a figure cited as coming from PuckPedia. It’s the kind of gap that can feel manageable on paper—until you start counting the other names that suddenly need new deals.
Cutter Gauthier is one of them. He’s coming off a 41-goal season, and while he isn’t eligible to sign an offer sheet, he’ll be seeking a significant raise after completing his entry-level deal. With Mintyukov signed and Carlsson’s offer looming, the Ducks’ room to maneuver looks narrower.
Anaheim’s cap bind is arriving after a roster reshaping that already cost veterans. The Ducks have lost Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas to free agency. Keeping all three young stars—Mintyukov. Carlsson. and Gauthier—could require hard choices elsewhere. including cutting ties with other players to create space.
The Ducks did find their footing last season. snapping a seven-year playoff drought and reaching the second round before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights. But that kind of momentum can be fragile when the front office is forced to make quick. expensive decisions—and the Verbeek workload is getting heavier rather than lighter.
As general manager Pat Verbeek looks toward the end of the week. the timing is brutal: Carlsson’s offer sheet has a deadline. Mintyukov’s contract is already on the books. and Gauthier’s next contract discussion is waiting in the wings. The Ducks’ future may still be built around young talent. but this off-season is turning into a real test of how much they can afford to keep.
Anaheim Ducks Pavel Mintyukov Pat Verbeek Leo Carlsson Philadelphia Flyers Cutter Gauthier Jackson LaCombe salary cap offer sheet
So they signed Mintyukov and now they somehow can’t afford Carlsson? Classic Ducks math lol.
I read something about offer sheets and first-round picks and I’m just confused why teams even do this. Like if they match, then what, they’re screwed later anyway?
Wait isn’t Mintyukov like the goalie? $36 million for a defenseman sounds wild but whatever. If they only have $9.9 million left then that seems impossible to match Carlsson’s $18 million right? Unless they trade the whole team.
Offer sheet time til Friday… so basically Anaheim has to decide if they want to lose Carlsson for FOUR firsts or pay him and then the rest of the roster falls apart. I don’t buy that $9.97 cap space number being “manageable.” One injury and it’s done.