John Carlson's Projected Extension Number With Ducks

It was a heartbreaking moment for John Carlson and the Washington Capitals — players and fans alike — when the 17-year Caps veteran was dealt at the trade deadline to the Anaheim Ducks.

"He was really crushed by being traded by the only team he's ever played for," said insider Pierre LeBrun on TSN Insider Trading.

Many around town thought the franchise's all-time top defenseman should have received a better farewell than a middle-of-the-night voicemail to let him know he'd been traded. The Capitals did inform him of the possibility of a trade ahead of time, but Capitals GM Chris Patrick insisted this week that he was only 'listening', and not actively 'shopping' the team's veteran leader.

“As you’re making phone calls around, in the week or two leading up to the deadline and the week of the deadline, if his name came up, I’d kind of say, ‘Well, I mean, I’ll listen if you’re interested in doing something.’"

That, however, is not how Ducks GM Pat Verbeek laid it out in a new interview, saying that it was Patrick who brought up Carlson's name first.

Ducks say that Capitals raised the idea of a Carlson trade to them

“I never mentioned the subject just because, you know, he’d been with that organization for a long time,” Verbeek said. “And then they brought up the name,” he said. “They asked if we’d be interested in John Carlson.”

However the whole thing went down, Carlson is now thrilled to be with the Ducks, and the team is extremely happy to have him, as the team is finally coming out of its long rebuild, and is ready for its first playoff appearance in eight years.

How happy are they to have him? According to LeBrun, there's a good chance that the pending unrestricted free agent doesn't make it to the open market on July 1. First, they'll give him some time to settle in and get acclimated in Anaheim, but then extension talks will begin for the 36-year-old.

Anaheim did not give up the return that it did for a 36-year-old blueliner with the idea of him being only a rental. My understanding is that the Ducks will eventually approach Carlson’s camp, led by veteran agent Rick Curran, about what an extension looks like.

Carlson is wrapping up an eight-year, $8 million AAV contract this season, and even at his advancing age, he is still at the top of his game. He has 46 points in 55 games this season, with 84 blocked shots and a plus/minus rating of +11. He is not likely to take a pay cut.

If I had to guess, a two-year extension would make sense, and I think it would be $8 million to $9 million per year based on the impact Carlson still has.

For what it's worth, AFP Analytics had a projection at midseason for Carlson of a three-year deal with a $6.1M AAV. From LeBrun's reporting, that doesn't sound like it would get it done.

Carlson is expected to make his Ducks debut this weekend, either at Ottawa facing the Senators on Saturday, or in Montreal against the Canadiens on Sunday.