Most Washington Capitals fans were likely fast asleep when an absolute shocker of a trade took place in the wee hours of Friday morning.
John Carlson, the franchise’s all-time great defenseman, has been traded to the Anaheim Ducks on the final day before the NHL’s trade deadline. Even though it had been rumored, it seemed like one of those things that wouldn’t actually happen. But it’s true. Carlson is leaving the Caps.
The news was reported by TSN’s Elliotte Friedman at 1:08 a.m. ET.
The return to Washington is a first-round pick that will convey in either 2026 or 2027, depending on conditions, as well as a 2027 third-round pick.
Carlson ranks first in Capitals history among defensemen in games played, goals and points.
Now 36 years old, Carlson was in his 17th season with the Capitals.
Carlson played 1,143 NHL games for the Caps. He had 166 goals and 605 assists (771 points) to go with 2,179 blocked shots and 944 hits.
This season, Carlson has 10 goals and 36 assists (46 points) in 55 games.
Carlson’s tenure with Washington included a Stanley Cup championship, too.
The Capitals took him way back in the 2008 NHL Draft with the 27th overall pick, and he stuck around until now.
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Why did the Capitals trade John Carlson?
The main reason here is that Carlson is in the final year of his contract. The Capitals get two early-round picks for him rather than seeing him reach free agency and leave for nothing.
There’s always a chance Carlson re-signs with the Caps in the offseason.
The bummer, of course, is that it seems like Washington is mostly admitting it’s not going to intensely pursue a playoff spot. The Capitals aren’t out of reach, and they could get hot even without Carlson and sneak in.
But as far as this deal goes, it was the pragmatic approach, making sure to extract one last bit of value out of Carlson, even if in this case it was off the ice, not on it.
