The Washington Capitals’ trade of alternate captain John Carlson marked a watershed moment for the franchise. Long assumed to be a player who would spend his entire career in Washington, the Stanley Cup-winning defenseman was dealt by general manager Chris Patrick to the Anaheim Ducks in the dead of night on March 6 after seventeen seasons with the Capitals. In return, Washington received a 2026 first-round pick — which became the 18th overall selection — and a 2027 third-round pick.
The trade deadline deal came as Carlson was on an expiring contract and the Capitals were unlikely to make the postseason, seeking assets for the future.
The deal of the franchise legend left players in shock, describing it as “the end of an era.”
Alex Ovechkin called Carlson’s trade “[p]robably the toughest day in my career… personal-wise. It sucks. It’s sad.”
Tom Wilson added, “There’s certain guys in the locker room that are kind of the North Star.”
Recently, Aliaksei Protas reflected on Carlson’s trade in a Belarusian language blog post for BetNews, revealing that the deal affected the team down the stretch.
Protas wrote, as translated by Google Translate:
It was a shock to everyone. I never thought something like that was possible.
I learned about the exchange from my wife. Tanya was with the baby and woke me up in the middle of the night with the shocking news. I immediately thought it was some kind of dream, but then I realized it was true.
Until the very end, I couldn’t believe John was no longer with us. I didn’t believe it until he himself came to say goodbye to the team. I wouldn’t say it felt like someone had died, but there was a sense of profound loss. Carlson is a true leader. In the Washington locker room, he was the guy who would always help, advise, and motivate. Again, a very serious loss. The aftershocks of John’s departure reverberated throughout the rest of the season; it was very difficult.
To Protas’s credit, the Capitals did appear to struggle as a team defensively down the stretch without Carlson on the roster. While the team’s five-on-five goal differential was on a similar track as before, the team’s process noticeably worsened.
First 63 games 5v5 (With Carlson on the team)
50.5 shot attempts for percentage
55.0 goals for percentage
51.2 expected goals for percentage
51.8 high-danger chance for percentage
Final 19 games at 5v5 (Without Carlson)
45.9 shot attempts for percentage
54.7 goals for percentage
47.8 expected goals for percentage
46.3 high-danger chance for percentage
Some caveats: These statistics were collected from Natural Stat Trick’s “Team Stats” results by date and are somewhat flawed, as they do not control for variables. For instance, the Capitals roster had injuries and different lineups throughout the season, including Carlson being out with injury himself at times. It also does not take into account the strength of their schedule. The team was also dealt defensively-minded fourth-line center Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights, which may have contributed to these results, too.
The team was essentially worse in every single way except winning hockey games. In the first 63 games, they had a .548 points percentage (19th in the standings) with Carlson still on the team, while in the final 19 games, they had a .684 points percentage — seventh best in the NHL.
The Capitals also got younger down the stretch, giving their top prospects a closer look. The team signed rookie sensation Cole Hutson to a three-year, entry-level contract a week after the trade, giving the 19-year-old defenseman 17:27 of ice time per game. Ivan Miroshnichenko got into the lineup in late March, becoming an every-night player, while Ilya Protas assumed the second-line center spot for the final four games of the regular season.
While Carlson’s loss was felt in the team’s statistics, what’s less understood is how it impacted the Capitals locker room and certain players who he was close with individually. The day after the trade, veteran Capitals players described the rearguard as a glue guy off the ice who shared tips to younger players as if he were another coach on the ice.
“His trade is a clear confirmation that the NHL is not just hockey, but also a business, and no hockey player is immune from this,” Protas wrote. “Luckily, John is doing well in his new position. Anaheim made the playoffs for the first time in a long time, thanks in part to his help. He’s playing great, and I wish him nothing but luck. And we need to keep moving forward, too.”
