Capitals trade veteran defenseman John Carlson to Ducks

John Carlson’s time with the Washington Capitals is over, after the only NHL team he has ever played for traded him to the Anaheim Ducks.

The 36-year-old defenseman was traded early Friday morning, with the Capitals receiving a conditional first-round pick in 2026 or 2027 along with a 2027 third-round pick in what might be the most surprising development ahead of the 3 p.m. ET Friday trade deadline.

Carlson is the second veteran the Capitals have traded in the lead-up to the deadline. They also traded forward Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.

Washington (31-25-7) entered Friday four points behind the Boston Bruins for the second and final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Even though the Capitals are within striking distance, they also have the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators in front of them in the standings. Plus, the Caps have played two more games than the Bruins, Blue Jackets and Senators.

Moving on from Carlson means the Capitals have only two players — captain Alex Ovechkin and winger Tom Wilson — remaining on the roster from their 2018 Stanley Cup-winning team.

It also leaves the Capitals without one of the most impactful players in franchise history. Carlson is in the top 10 in assists, points and games played.

He currently has 10 goals and 46 points in 55 games for a pace that would see him finish with 13 goals and 60 points in 72 games for his seventh season of more than 50 points.

Carlson being in the final months of his eight-year contract worth $8 million annually did create questions about his future.

Anaheim (34-24-3) has spent the past few years adding veterans who could play a role in shaping a young core that is led by Leo Carlsson, Lukas Dostal, Jackson LaCombe and Mason McTavish, among others.

That approach has played a significant role in why the Ducks are a point behind Vegas in the fight to win the Pacific Division and earn a playoff berth for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

Now they’ve added another veteran in Carlson, who could be used on the Ducks’ first or second pairing, as well as be asked to quarterback their first-team power play.

It’s possible the Ducks could still look to add more help with PuckPedia projecting they’ll have $44.426 million in deadline cap space.

There are questions about what comes next for Carlson’s former team.

PuckPedia projects the Capitals have $26.275 million in deadline cap space in the event they want to make a move Friday.

The draft picks they received for Carlson mean they now have two first-round picks for 2026 and four picks in the first three rounds in 2027 as they seek to figure out their future for whenever the time comes for the 40-year-old Ovechkin to move on.

Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leader in goals, is in the final season of his five-year deal worth $9.5 million annually.