Ducks Nearly Faced Another Massive Offer Sheet This Summer
One Team Was Ready To Move
Pavel Mintyukov signed a five-year, $36 million extension with the Ducks back in July, worth a $7.2 million average annual value, and at the time it looked like Anaheim had simply gotten ahead of the market.
David Pagnotta's latest reporting adds an interesting new layer to that story.
According to Pagnotta, at least one team had a formal offer sheet ready to go if that final contract conversation between Mintyukov and the Ducks hadn't worked out.
David Pagnotta: Re Pavel Mintyukov 7.2m AAV: If he didn't sign with Anaheim, he was signing his offer sheet with whatever that other team was, there was one team ready to go - The Sheet (9/8)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) September 14, 2026
Multiple teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens, had been connected to Mintyukov earlier in the process, though Pagnotta didn't identify which club specifically had papers ready to file.
Another Gut-Check For Anaheim's Cap
Mintyukov's deal came together just two days after Philadelphia hit Anaheim with a five-year, $90 million offer sheet on Leo Carlsson, a situation that already threatened to blow up the Ducks' cap sheet if they matched it.
Had Mintyukov also signed elsewhere, Anaheim would have been staring down two offer sheet losses in the same week, on top of an already stretched cap situation with Cutter Gauthier still unsigned at the time.
BREAKING: At least one NHL team formally presented Pavel Mintyukov with an offersheet today, per @PuckPedia.
— PuckEmpire (@puckempire) July 3, 2026
Anaheim may be in trouble.. pic.twitter.com/2x32ClXk0E
Anaheim avoided that outcome, but only barely.
One completed phone call was reportedly the difference between keeping Mintyukov and watching him walk.
