- Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports Anaheim has held "exploratory talks" with John Carlson on a new deal
- Carlson is set to hit unrestricted free agency in July after a 17-year run with Washington
- Read below for what Carlson has done in Anaheim and why the Ducks want him locked up
Looks like John Carlson might be sticking around Anaheim past July.
The Ducks and Carlson have held "exploratory talks" on a contract extension since the deadline trade, per The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. Carlson is set to hit unrestricted free agency in July if no deal gets signed before then.
Anaheim shipped a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third-rounder to Washington for Carlson back on March 6, ending his 17-year run as a Capital. Here’s how the Ducks broke the news:
That price tag wasn’t for a rental, and Carlson has played the part. He has 20 points (4 goals, 16 assists) in 24 games between the regular season and playoffs, fifth on the team in scoring across that span and second among Ducks defensemen behind Jackson LaCombe.
Carlson also picked up the league’s Third Star of the Week honors for the week ending March 29 after stacking seven assists in three games.
The 36-year-old has been a workhorse in the second-round series against Vegas, averaging 24:34 of ice time per game in the playoffs. That ranks third on Anaheim’s roster.
Game 3 goes Friday in Anaheim, two days after the Ducks evened the series with a 3-1 Game 2 win in Vegas. Watch the highlights:
Capitals general manager Chris Patrick was asked at the deadline whether he’d bring Carlson back as a free agent this summer. Tampering rules made him squirm.
“As weird as it is to say this and hear this coming out of my mouth, I actually can’t comment on John because he’s a property of another team, and that would be tampering,” Patrick said. “So it’s kind of bizarre to even say that.”
Anaheim has the inside track. If Pat Verbeek can get Carlson signed before July 1, the Ducks save themselves from bidding against the rest of the league for one of the better right-shot defensemen on the market.
