John Carlson is back in the DC area.
The pending unrestricted free agent was hanging out with his former Washington Capitals teammate, Logan Thompson, on Saturday, per an Instagram story posted by Thompson.
The visit back to where Carlson spent the vast majority of his 17-season NHL career comes amid emerging reports that the veteran defender is interested in returning to the East Coast for the 2026-27 season.
On the May 22 episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, hockey insider Elliotte Friedman said that “there’s some thought [Carlson] wants to go back east.” The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun also recently reported that “there are four or five teams in the East” interested in Carlson and hoping he hits the free agent market.
Carlson himself has not publicly given much indication about where he may want to land once he becomes a UFA on July 1. He expressed openness to returning to the Anaheim Ducks during his end-of-season media availability (where he wore a University of Maryland hat), but said he needed to mull over his options with his family and take some time to decide.
John Carlson wears Maryland hat during final media availability with Ducks
The Capitals could theoretically be one of Carlson’s East-based suitors, as general manager Chris Patrick listed acquiring a right-handed defenseman as one of the team’s top goals for the offseason. Although they recently re-signed Timothy Liljegren, the Capitals still need another player to round out the position on their roster. Additionally, they have the cap space to be competitive on the open market, with $31.4 million in available space, per PuckPedia.
Carlson and his family obviously have a deep connection to the DMV, with Carlson and his wife, Gina (who grew up in DC), starting and growing their family and life in the city during his tenure with the Capitals. The couple met in DC, got married in Maryland, had all four of their children in the area, and even built their dream home in Chevy Chase after the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup win. Their ties to the area played a role in Carlson’s decision to resign in 2018.
In 71 games split between the Capitals and Ducks this past year, Carlson recorded 60 points (14g, 46a). Among all scheduled free agents, he is the second-highest scoring defenseman and fifth-highest scoring player overall, making him one of the biggest available prizes this summer.
