Adding Leo Carlsson wouldn’t make the Philadelphia Flyers one of the preseason favorites for the Stanley Cup next season. They would still be a tremendously young team that has to fight some more battles and build up more scar tissue, much like the Carolina Hurricanes did for years before finally capturing a championship last month.But the window to contend for a Stanley Cup title? That would finally start to crack open after about a decade and a half of darkness.Flyers general manager Daniel Briere has done everything he’s had to do to resuscitate what was a moribund franchise when he took over three years ago. That’s something we already went over here in April.But it’s worth cutting and pasting the closing paragraph of that piece, ICYMI:Putting the Flyers over the top and making them a true contender is going to be Briere’s most challenging and complicated task. But considering everything he’s done to this point, does anyone still doubt he’ll find a way to pull it off?The Carlsson offer sheet reinforces that claim, even if it isn’t successful. Briere has announced to the league, and to Philadelphia, that he’s fully prepared to aggressively push this team forward. That means something.Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek still has until the end of the week to mash the reply button, of course. It still seems more likely than not that he will find a way to retain Anaheim’s most important young player.If the Flyers do ultimately end up with Carlsson, though? Get ready for what could be a pretty enjoyable ride for the foreseeable future, because of the way Briere has set the table.The Flyers now have plenty of high-end skill after being devoid of it for years. Trevor Zegras has shown he has the potential to be a point-per-game player. Owen Tippett, one of the fastest players in the league, finally started putting everything together late last season. Porter Martone made a splash right away, and Matvei Michkov, for all of the attention his sophomore struggles received, still has 114 points in his first 161 career games.Put Carlsson between this talented group of wingers, which also includes other young, improving players like Tyson Foerster and Denver Barkey, and suddenly this looks like a very deep forward group — including down the middle, with solid middle-six centers Christian Dvorak and Noah Cates. There would still be concerns about the power play, but perhaps with the addition of Carlsson, Martone, a healthy Foerster and a more effective Michkov to the unit, those would simply be fixed organically.The goaltending appears stable. Dan Vladar showed last season that he can be a true No. 1 goalie in the league, which is one of the most difficult pieces for any contending team to find. His five-year extension, which runs through 2031-32, is a bit of a risk considering the volatility of his position, but if the 2025-26 version of Vladar is reflective of who he really is, the Flyers won’t have to worry about their crease anytime soon. New No. 2 Joseph Woll, 27, could give the Flyers the best tandem in net they’ve had since, well, who knows when.Carlsson’s $18 million AAV would be a huge overpay, of course. No one is arguing otherwise. But he wouldn’t torpedo the Flyers’ salary cap structure because so many affordable contracts are already in place.Tippett’s $6.2 million AAV is a true bargain. The Flyers’ leading scorer again last season, Travis Konecny’s $8.75 million AAV is just fine, considering what he brings off the ice as well. Foerster, who was on pace for 30 to 40 goals at the time of his injury last Dec. 1 and is already one of the league’s better two-way forwards, just signed what seems like a reasonable eight-year extension at a $7.1 million AAV. The five-year extension for Dvorak at $5.15 million is already a bargain considering what other, lesser centers have signed for since then.How has Briere managed to keep these salaries in check? That’s something he’s mentioned a few times lately — players who are already Flyers want to stay because of the culture that’s been established and how they’ve been treated in Philadelphia. Considering how many high-end players have either asked to be moved (Dylan Larkin) or have been in the rumor mill (Zach Werenski, Connor Hellebuyck, Jason Robertson), that can’t be glossed over.This is a group of players who want to battle for the guys sitting next to them in the dressing room— something they all verbalized in the moments after knocking off the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. Briere’s reluctance to part with players who helped establish that culture, like Konecny, and, prior to that, Scott Laughton, has paid dividends.As for the future, if Verbeek is content with receiving four first-round picks in exchange for Carlsson, that would sting. But the Flyers still likely have Toronto’s 2027 first-round pick, and it’s debatable whether the Maple Leafs are all that improved after their many moves in recent weeks. That pick could still end up in the top 10 or higher.Further, Briere has done an admirable job of leaving himself flexibility with the contracts that have already been signed. The only players Briere has given a full no-move clause to are Konecny (through 2030-31), Vladar (through 2028-29) and Dvorak (through 2027-28). When younger players in the system show they’re ready for NHL duty, Briere could potentially move others out.Perhaps that’s at least part of the reason why Carlsson chose to sign with the Flyers, rather than the other six teams that showed interest, including three that presented formal offers, according to colleague Pierre LeBrun. The Flyers’ foundation seems to be in place. Carlsson could be the final big piece that may — eventually — help turn the Flyers into a consistent threat for years to come.Jul 5, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms