John Carlson will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and should have plenty of suitors ready to offer him a big-money contract.
Carlson, 36, finished the 2025-26 campaign with the Anaheim Ducks after a trade-deadline deal sent him west from the Washington Capitals. While the Ducks are expected to be one of the more interested teams in inking Carlson to a deal, there are a couple of others, per hockey insider Frank Seravalli, that could also be preparing their bids for the still high-scoring veteran defender.
“The Ducks are a possibility to stay,” Seravalli said on Frankly Hockey. “I’ll throw two (other) teams at you. The Philadelphia Flyers – that’s a fit to me. What about the Chicago Blackhawks? They need someone that can effectively quarterback their power play.”
Seravalli adds that he believes Carlson is set for a raise on the $8 million salary he had been making, likely aiming for $9 to $10 million on a three-year contract. Previous reporting from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun indicated that Carlson was in talks with the Capitals on a two-year contract extension worth $9 million per season before he was traded to the Ducks.
In 71 games split between the Capitals and Ducks, Carlson recorded 60 points (14g, 46a). Among all scheduled free agents, he is the second-highest scoring defenseman and fifth-highest scoring player overall. He skated 23:10 of ice time per game, which ranked 29th in the NHL.
While the Ducks are an obvious pick for an interested team, the Flyers and Blackhawks are also mentioned due to roster needs this summer. Both need a power-play quarterback, and the Flyers, in particular, are lacking right-handed options on their backend. Carlson could prefer a move back to the East Coast, where his family is settled.
While Carlson could have interest from the teams that Seravalli brings up, it’s possible that the Capitals could also revisit their talks with their former longtime alternate captain. After re-signing Timothy Liljegren, the Caps still need another right-handed defenseman to start the 2026-27 campaign.
Carlson has maintained ties to the area since his departure, wearing a University of Maryland hat during his Breakdown Day interview with Ducks media and recently hanging out with goaltender Logan Thompson.
The Capitals still have plenty of cap space to potentially battle with other teams for Carlson’s signature, as per PuckPedia, they’re set to have $31.4 million in room this offseason.
