John Carlson is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and we may now know what price he’s expecting on his next contract.
According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Carlson was in talks with the Washington Capitals on a two-year contract extension worth $9 million per season before he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline.
While news of the proposed extension’s length isn’t new — a source told RMNB in March that the parties were discussing a two-year deal before the trade — the potential number for Carlson’s cap hit is. Carlson played 28 combined regular-season and playoff games with the Ducks, seeing his 2025-26 season end at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the postseason.
LeBrun added that while the Ducks have spoken with Carlson and his agent, there are “four or five teams in the East” hoping that the veteran defender does not come to terms on a new deal in Anaheim before he hits the open market. Carlson expressed openness to re-signing with the Ducks during his end-of-season media availability, but admitted that he needed to take some time with his family to decide on the next step of his career.
“I certainly loved it here,” Carlson, who was wearing a University of Maryland hat during the chat, said to reporters. “There’s a lot of moving parts to that to properly answer the question. But, yeah, I’ve loved my time. It’s a special place here for sure, with some extraordinary talent and a really bright future. So that certainly is attractive to anyone, not just myself. So, from that standpoint, that’s what I would say. But there’s more to it than that, of course, with everything else.”
In 71 games split between the Capitals and Ducks, Carlson recorded 60 points (14g, 46a). Among all scheduled free agents, he is the second-highest scoring defenseman and fifth-highest scoring player overall. He skated 23:10 of ice time per game, which ranked 29th in the NHL.
While Carlson will likely have a long list of suitors, it’s possible that the Capitals could revisit their talks with their former longtime alternate captain. After re-signing Timothy Liljegren, the Caps still need another right-handed defenseman to start the 2026-27 campaign, and addressing that position was high on Patrick’s list last month.
The Caps will also have plenty of cap space to potentially battle with other teams for Carlson’s signature, as per PuckPedia, they’re set to have $31.4 million in room this offseason.
