In a major move, Anaheim acquired veteran blueliner John Carlson from Washington on Thursday night, March 5, 2026.
John Carlson, 36, an accomplished defenseman, whose time with Washington comes to an end after the only NHL team he played for traded him to the Ducks.
Carlson has played a key role in the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup triumph and is a former runner-up for the Norris Trophy for the NHL’s top defenseman and is expected to add years of playoff experience to the young Ducks team that is on pace to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Parting ways with Carlson means Washington only has two players left on the roster from its victorious 2018 Stanley Cup team: captain Alex Ovechkin and winger Tom Wilson.
John Carlson will become a free agent this offseason and has recorded 10 goals and 46 points in 55 games with Washington this season.
Veteran defenseman Carlson led all Capitals skaters in ice time, averaging more than 23 minutes per game.
Carlson is in the final months of his eight-year contract worth $8 million annually.
The Anaheim Ducks (34-24-3) had spent the last few years adding veterans to guide a rising generation led by Leo Carlson, Lukas Dostal, Jackson LaCombe and Mason McTavish, among others.
The strategy has paid off, and the Ducks are currently just one point behind Las Vegas in the race to clinch the Pacific Division title and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
