ARLINGTON, V.A. — As he enters the final year of his contract, Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson isn't fixated on the future.
Carlson, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, acknowledged that he and the Capitals haven't touched base on a new contract yet, but that he's not overly concerned about it.
"Obviously, that’s part of life and there’s other stuff to think about, too. But I think I’ve always been pretty good at focusing on what I can control and what I can do out there," Carlson said. "This league is tough and a lot goes on and I think I’ve always just kind of stayed in my lane and worried about the task that I’m worried about. So, I don’t think that will change. My mentality won’t change and certainly just as excited as ever."
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For general manager Chris Patrick, the plan is to evaluate Carlson, 35, over the course of the year and then revisit later on.
"Kind of let the season play out and see how things go," Patrick said. "John's been a huge part of this organization. He's on the Mount Rushmore of great Caps, and you know, we're going to see where things go with him."
Carlson had 51 points in 79 games last season, and though he admitted that some security would be nice, he's still not focused on what's next.
"I'm not thinking about it, no," Carlson said.