4 Free Agent Destinations For John Carlson

It was a shock to many when the Washington Capitals traded their top offensive defenseman of the past 17 years, John Carlson. For the Anaheim Ducks, it was a shrewd addition that helped push them into the second round of the playoffs in their first postseason appearance in eight years.

But now comes the hard part: Trying to re-sign Carlson as a highly sought-after pending UFA. Coming off an $8 million AAV, and not showing any signs of decline despite his age (36), he will cost a pretty penny to retain.

Insider Frank Seravalli stated on Frankly Hockey that the Ducks will have to pony up big dough if they hope to keep him—probably more than they would like.

I don't think he's coming on any sort of discount. They're gonna have to pay market rate... I don't know how much of a stomach the Ducks will have for that.

With that, Bleacher Report has proposed four free agent destinations for Carlson, if Anaheim is unable to bring him back:

Edmonton Oilers

The Oil had a leaky defense in 2025-26, that was no secret around the NHL. They need a blueline boost, and GM Stan Bowman needs to prove to his superstar forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl that he's willing to do what it takes. If they can't re-sign Connor Murphy, Carlson could be more than an ideal replacement as a right-shot D for the second pairing.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks would love to be the 2026-27 version of the Ducks: taking that next big step out of a rebuild with a huge leap into the playoffs. Everyone knows that they need to address the blueline. Adding an elite, mobile d-man like Carlson, who can be the quarterback on the power play, would be a massive move for the team.

Chicago Blackhawks

Ditto the Blackhawks. If they are to emerge from their long rebuild, they could do a lot worse than adding a respected veteran and elite offensive defenseman like Carlson. All of the excitement is up front with Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar, but they need to address the back end as well.

Washington Capitals

Maybe that was just a two-month layover for Carlson in Anaheim? Washington was home for him and his family for the past 17 years, and he has a Stanley Cup ring to show for it as well. It wouldn't be a surprise if the two sides wanted a reunion. As long as the Caps can pay him fair value. This will, in all likelihood, be his last NHL contract.

If Alex Ovechkin really does retire, bringing back the team's other longtime leader would be a great move. Or it could even work the other way around as well: If Carlson is brought back, does Ovi decide to give it another ride in 2026-27?