- Pierre LeBrun says the Lightning will be among the suitors for John Carlson in free agency
- Tampa cleared a spot by sign-and-trading Darren Raddysh to Toronto this week
- Read below for Carlson’s price tag, his East Coast preference and the Hedman question
The Tampa Bay Lightning have a hole on the back end, and John Carlson fits it almost too well.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN reported that the Lightning will be one of the teams chasing Carlson once free agency opens, with the veteran defenseman sitting sixth on TSN’s Top 30 UFA list.
Tampa built the need itself. The Bolts shipped Darren Raddysh to Toronto in a sign-and-trade this week after GM Julien BriseBois balked at the long-term money Raddysh wanted.
That move pushed a 22-goal, 70-point blueliner out the door and left a gap on the top power-play unit. The Lightning announced the trade themselves:
Raddysh cashed in with an eight-year, $68 million deal in Toronto, money Tampa didn’t want to match. Carlson gives them a cheaper, shorter swing at the same problem.
Free agency is new ground for the 36-year-old. Carlson went to Anaheim as a deadline rental, but he told the Ducks he won’t re-sign and wants to play in the East, closer to home. The list of teams kicking the tires keeps growing.
He can still play. Carlson put up 60 points this season, his best haul since 2021-22, and finished 11th in scoring among defensemen. He even grabbed the first hat trick of his career in April, a 6-1 Ducks win over San Jose in his 1,156th game.
Take a look at the highlights from Carlson’s hat-trick night:
The price should stay sane. AFP Analytics projects a three-year deal just north of $7 million per year, shorter and lighter than what Raddysh got. Tampa has more than $13 million in cap space and no major restricted free agents to re-sign.
That flexibility matters more with Victor Hedman’s status up in the air. Injuries and a personal leave held the captain to one goal and 17 points in 33 games last season, so the Bolts need someone who can run a power play right away. Carlson, with 1,159 games and seven seasons of Norris votes on his resume, can do that on day one.
