Though it was reported on Saturday that the Capitals and John Carlson were nearing a deal to bring the defenseman back, nothing was finalized as of Sunday, and the window is now open for other teams to approach unrestricted free agents.
Carlson’s agent, Rick Curran, confirmed to TSN’s Bob McKenzie that without an extension inked with the Capitals he has started receiving calls from interested teams.
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John Carlson’s extension with WSH is not done, not yet anyway and UFA shopping period has begun. So, now what? Carlson’s agent Rick Curran: “As of the moment we do not have a deal in place with Washington and as permitted, I am getting/taking calls from other interested teams.”
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 24, 2018
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun added that he did not believe that the negotiation stall with the Capitals was solely about AAV, but also about the bonus structure for any potential lockout years. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires after the 2021–22 season.
And I suspect this isn't just about agreeing on the right AAV but also on the bonus structure for potential lockout years… https://t.co/r6OP9VqFqL
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 24, 2018
Carlson is expected to get a high-paying, long-term contract, with current estimates placing it in the $8 million per year range. A term of up to eight years can also be extended. His previous contract had an annual salary cap hit of $3.966 million.
Over the course of the 2017-18 season, Carlson tallied 68 points, outscoring all NHL defenseman. Of those 68 points, 15 came from goals. Those marks were career highs for the 28-year-old defenseman.
The salary cap for the 2018-19 NHL season was confirmed to be $79.5 million by the NHL earlier in the week. With some movement made over the 2018 Draft, like trading goaltender Philip Grubauer and veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik, the Caps currently have around $21 million in cap space.
However, the Capitals also have several restricted and unrestricted free agents left to sign. An offer has been extended to Michal Kempny, but Tom Wilson, Jay Beagle, Jakub Jerabek, Alex Chiasson, Devante Smith-Pelly, Travis Boyd and Madison Bowey still require new deals.
