The Anaheim Ducks bring in Stanley Cup champion and former first-team all-star defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals ahead of the NHL trade deadline.
The Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals pulled off a significant trade overnight before NHL trade deadline day.
The Ducks acquired defenseman John Carlson from the Capitals in exchange for a conditional 2026 first-round draft pick and a 2027 third-round pick.
If Anaheim misses the playoffs this season, it has the option to keep its first-rounder in 2026 and instead send its 2027 pick to Washington.
"John Carlson brings leadership, character, a high hockey IQ and a presence to our lineup," Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said in the team's announcement. "We are very excited to add a Stanley Cup winner to complement our group and make a big push down the stretch."
In 55 games this season, the 36-year-old Carlson has 10 goals and 36 assists for 46 points.
No defenseman in Capitals history has more games played (1,143), goals (166), assists (605), points (771), power-play points (273) and game-winning goals (32) than Carlson.
"Since joining our organization 17 years ago, John Carlson has exemplified what it means to be a Washington Capital every day," Capitals GM Chris Patrick said. "John's determination, leadership, persistence and skill helped our franchise reach new heights and cemented him as a cornerstone and one of the greatest players in Capitals history."
Carlson made the NHL's first all-star team in 2019-20, when he finished second in Norris Trophy voting. He was also on the second all-star team in 2018-19.
Here's more on what this trade means for each squad.
Anaheim Ducks Add John Carlson For The Playoff Push
Carlson is a pending UFA, and there's no contract extension in place as of yet. So the Ducks made a significant commitment here by trading a first-rounder for a potential rental defenseman.
The Ducks were not on Carlson's 10-team no-trade list, so that was not an obstacle. And with plenty of cap space, they took on the veteran's $8 million cap hit with no salary retained.
Anaheim ranks second in the Pacific Division, with 71 points. They have one game in hand on the Vegas Golden Knights, which lead the Pacific with 72 points. Vegas is 4-5-1 in its last 10 games, while the Ducks are 7-3-0.
Carlson has not played since Feb. 5 as he recovers from a lower-body injury. Once he returns, he will slot in on the right side of the Ducks' defense, along with Jacob Trouba, captain Radko Gudas and Ian Moore.
Are The Washington Capitals Sellers?
The Capitals also traded veteran depth center Nic Dowd to the Golden Knights on Thursday. They received goaltender Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick in return.
Washington is only four points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They lost their last two games, however, and are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games. The Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets are also chasing the Boston Bruins for that second wild-card spot. They not only have two games in hand on Washington but traded for upgrades on Thursday as well, with Ottawa acquiring Warren Foegele and Columbus getting Conor Garland.
TSN's Pierre LeBrun said Thursday he wouldn't label the Capitals as pure sellers despite the Dowd trade. He said it was his understanding the team would do a bit of buying and selling before 3 p.m. ET on Friday.
By trading Carlson, Washington appears to be moreso sellers than anything else at this moment.
That said, the Caps still have a defense corps that has a solid mix of producers and shutdown players. Jakob Chychrun, Matt Roy and Martin Fehervary are all under contract through at least 2030, while Rasmus Sandin is signed through 2028-29.
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