Matthew Schaefer does not want to think about his next contract, brushing off a question from NHL.com on the subject at a charity golf event in Brampton, Ont., on Monday.
That is an admirable and understandable public position for the soon-to-be 19-year-old to take, particularly given the issue will stay on the periphery until late in the upcoming season. Schaefer is not even eligible to sign an extension until July 1, 2027, a little less than 12 months from now.
Still, his agent might want to send a thank you card to Leo Carlsson and his representatives after the 21-year-old Swedish centerman became the NHL’s highest-paid player by signing a five-year, $90 million offer sheet with the Flyers earlier this month, which was promptly matched by the Ducks.
There is still a wariness in certain corners of the NHL about the massive year-over-year rises in the salary cap — a fallout from both the pandemic-era flat cap and good business that looks set to continue for at least the next few seasons — that has resulted in sticker-shock salaries and offer-sheet opportunities, Carlsson being the best example of both.
