John Carlson’s time with the Washington Capitals is over, after the only NHL team he has ever played for traded him to the Anaheim Ducks.
The 36-year-old defenseman was traded early Friday morning, with the Capitals receiving a conditional first-round pick in 2026 or 2027 along with a 2027 third-round pick in what might be the most surprising development ahead of the 3 p.m. ET Friday trade deadline.
Carlson was the second veteran traded by the Capitals since Thursday, along with forward Nic Dowd going to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who had been Carlson’s teammate since Carlson was drafted in the first round in 2008, expressed his disappointment over the trade.
“It’s obviously a sad day. Probably the toughest day in my career, talking about personal-wise,” Ovechkin said Friday. “It sucks. It’s sad.
“He’s obviously the best defenseman in the franchise’s history. A leader. An unbelievable man and a great friend for all of us.”
Forward Tom Wilson said he “never foresaw a Capitals game without John Carlson in it,” having played with the defenseman his entire career.
“Today sucks. It’s brutal. I’m sure there’s some guys that want to cry. That’s the reality of it,” Wilson said. “Today you can cry, but tomorrow you’ve got to wake up and be a big boy and go play hockey.”
Washington (31-25-7) is four points behind the Boston Bruins for the second and final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Even though the Capitals are within striking distance, they also have the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators in front of them in the standings and have played two more games than all three teams.
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Moving on from Carlson means the Capitals have only two players — Ovechkin and Wilson — remaining on the roster from their 2018 Stanley Cup-winning team.
It also leaves the Capitals without one of the most impactful players in franchise history. Carlson is in the top 10 in assists, points and games played.
He has 10 goals and 46 points in 55 games this season for a pace that would see him finish with 13 goals and 60 points in 72 games for his seventh season of more than 50 points.
Carlson being in the final months of his eight-year contract worth $8 million annually did create questions about his future.
Anaheim (34-24-3) has spent the past few years adding veterans who could play a role in shaping a young core that is led by Leo Carlsson, Lukas Dostal, Jackson LaCombe and Mason McTavish, among others.
That approach has played a significant role in why the Ducks are a point behind the Golden Knights in the fight to win the Pacific Division and earn a playoff berth for the first time since 2017-18.
Now they have added another veteran in Carlson, who could be used on the Ducks’ first or second pairing and be asked to quarterback their first-team power play.
It’s possible the Ducks could still look to add more help, with PuckPedia projecting they will have $44.426 million in deadline cap space.
There are questions about what comes next for Carlson’s former team. PuckPedia projects the Capitals to have $26.275 million in deadline cap space in the event they want to make a move Friday.
The draft picks they received for Carlson mean they now have two first-round picks for 2026 and four picks in the first three rounds in 2027 as they seek to figure out their future for whenever the time comes for the 40-year-old Ovechkin to move on.
Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leader in goals, is in the final season of his five-year deal worth $9.5 million annually. While Carlson’s trade felt like the end of an era for the Capitals, Ovechkin indicated he has yet to make a decision on his future.
“I don’t know. I’m still here, so we’ll see what’s going to happen. It’s a hard one,” Ovechkin said.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski contributed to this report.
