Washington Capitals’ defenseman John Carlson is entering the final year of his eight-year, $64 million contract. According to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, as of Sept. 18, there have been no discussions between the Capitals and Carlson about a contract extension. He will become an unrestricted free agent next summer if no deal is reached.
The 35-year-old Natick, Massachusetts native has spent his entire career with the Capitals. He was selected in the first round, 27th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. After back-to-back Calder Cups with the Capitals’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Hershey Bears, Carlson established himself as one of the best two-way defensemen in the league. In the Capitals’ Stanley Cup championship run in 2018, Carlson led all defensemen in the playoffs with 20 points and a plus-11 rating in 24 games.
Washington’s All-Time Best Defenseman
Carlson is the team’s all-time leader in games played (1,088), goals (156), assists (569), and points (725) for a defenseman. He is the sixth-highest scorer among American-born defensemen in NHL history. His No. 74 deserves to be hanging in the rafters at Capital One Arena in a few years.
The 35-year-old Carlson had another strong season in 2024-25, his 16th as a professional. He topped 50 points for the seventh time in his career while averaging 23:43 in ice time. Last January, he became the 31st defenseman in league history to score 700 points. When Carlson was on the ice last season, the Capitals scored 65 goals, the most of any Washington defenseman.
“He’s so intelligent, positionally, penalty kill, five-on-five, defending some of the fastest, most skilled players in the world, his stick positioning,” said Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery. “You can just go down the list of all these little undercover plays and undercover decisions, defensively and offensively, that he makes every single game.”
The right-handed defenseman has proven to be sturdy during his NHL career, missing 57 games over 16 seasons. His most serious injury, a skull fracture and temporal artery laceration, caused him to miss 36 games during the 2022-23 season.
Is Carlson Trending Down?
Despite putting up solid offensive numbers last season, Carlson appeared worn out in the playoffs. He missed the last three games of the season due to an undisclosed injury and seemed a step behind, especially against the speedy Carolina Hurricanes.
While Carlson’s ice time remained close to his career average last season, his even-strength time dropped by around two minutes per game. He’s been known throughout his career for his elite ability to think the game and move the puck, but his decline in speed may lead to a further reduction of his minutes. He’s also been criticized for his defensive play at times in his career, a point which came to the surface after last season’s playoff loss to the Hurricanes.
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For Carlson, it seems a top-pair role is a stretch for him at this point in his career, and a reduced workload could help him to continue to contribute offensively while limiting his exposure to the opposition’s top lines. A pairing with a faster, more defensively-minded partner, such as Martin Fehervary, could also help him to maintain his effectiveness.
What Is a Fair Deal for John Carlson at 36?
Carlson has roots in Washington. He is a respected member of the community who participates in a number of charitable ventures. His kids play youth hockey in the area, and it’s not uncommon to see him at a local rink watching them skate. As a long-time alternate captain, he’s also a core part of a dressing room culture that has been lauded throughout the league for its positivity.
At the end of last season, Capitals general manager Chris Patrick downplayed any urgency in re-signing Carlson. “[Carlson] is obviously a huge part of our team and had a great season, and all expectations are he’s going to have another great season next year,” Patrick said. “It probably makes sense just to see how things play out a little bit. We’re a mature team and transitioning to a younger team, and we just want to make sure that we’re putting guys in the right position to have success and that expectations line up. So, nothing imminent [extension-wise] this summer.”
Carlson told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that he has no desire to leave Washington, but is seeking a “fair deal” from the team (from ‘NHL rumblings: Latest on pending UFAs Kempe, Tuch, Necas, Andersson and more,’ The Athletic, 9/25/25). Just exactly what a fair deal entails for a player who turns 36 in January, but who is still offensively productive and a team leader, is hard to determine.
With a current salary of $8 million per year, Carlson is currently the second-highest paid defenseman on the team, behind Jakob Chychrun’s $9 million. As his role shifts to the second or third pair, a salary around $4 million, or just below Rasmus Sandin’s $4.6 million, seems reasonable, which would put him behind Martin Fehervary ($6 million) and Matt Roy ($5.7 million). Those numbers would certainly be feasible financially for the Capitals next season, but how much term are they willing to give?
“I think anybody would probably love security,” Carlson told Chris Cerullo. “I think that’s a normal thought to have, but I’m not thinking about it now. I’ve always been pretty good at focusing on what I can control.”
It’s hard to imagine Carlson wearing any other jersey, but as the Capitals are in a self-described youth-oriented era, it just may happen. There are certainly teams that could use a veteran puck-moving defender with Carlson’s smarts who can quarterback a power play. Still, with all that he’s meant to the team, as well as the fact that he can still produce in a more protected role, the Capitals should make every effort to do right by the player.
