Leo Carlsson is heading into Joel Quenneville's camp with a massive new contract and an admission that shows how far its impact has spread.
The Anaheim Ducks center became the focus of the NHL's summer after Philadelphia presented him with a five-year offer sheet carrying an $18 million average annual value.
Anaheim matched it, keeping Carlsson in place while putting one of hockey's biggest contracts on its books.
Now Carlsson is hearing directly from other NHL players who understand what his deal could mean for contracts coming behind him.
“Players are thanking me,” Carlsson said, according to Mark Lazerus.
That short comment says plenty. Carlsson's contract didn't just change his future in Anaheim. It gave agents and players another major number to bring into negotiations across the league.
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He also dropped quite the controversial quote as well:
Leo Carlsson on Chris Kreider going on waivers, a ramification of his contract: "Chris, he's leaving, but he's also really happy for me, as well. It's a hard business."
Leo Carlsson deal forces difficult Ducks decisions
The fallout has also reached Carlsson's own locker room, with Anaheim facing pressure to create room around its new financial structure.
Chris Kreider was placed on unconditional waivers, and Carlsson acknowledged the human side of what followed.
“Chris, he's leaving, but he's also really happy for me, as well,” Carlsson said. “It's a hard business.”
That reality puts Carlsson in a different position entering camp. The Ducks aren't simply asking him to remain their top center. His contract now places him at the center of nearly every major roster decision around him.
General manager Pat Verbeek kept the player Anaheim wanted, but the price changes how the Ducks can build the rest of the roster. Cutter Gauthier's contract situation only adds another layer of pressure.
Carlsson can't control how other teams, agents or players use his deal as leverage. He can control what happens once the puck drops.
And with Quenneville behind the bench, every shift will now come with expectations attached to one of the NHL's biggest commitments.
The contract story isn't over because Anaheim matched the offer sheet. For Carlsson and the Ducks, that was only the beginning.
Will Leo Carlsson live up to his massive contract?
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