Capitals’ John Carlson drops security take amid contract year

The Washington Capitals were the top team in the Eastern Conference in 2024-25. Despite that, the franchise announced it would not be discussing a contract extension with John Carlson, one of the top defenders on the team, this offseason.

As training camp for the 2025-26 campaign opens, Carlson spoke on the lack of an extension to the media.

“I think anybody would probably love security. I think that’s a normal thought to have. But I’m not thinking about it,” said Carlson, as quoted by Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.

The blue liner will turn 36 years old during the upcoming season and is in his last year of an eight-year deal worth an AAV of $8 million. Seeing his contract come to its completion before signing a new one is not something uncommon for Carlson in his career. The American signed his first extension with Washington in September 2012, after his entry-level contract had expired. His next deal was this eight-year contract, which was signed in the summer of 2018, as he was about to head into unrestricted free agency.

While the lifetime Capital said he would like to have the security of his next contract, he is also not in an unfamiliar situation, so not thinking about the next summer is something he has done in the past.

What are the Capitals’ plans for John Carlson?

Carlson has been the heart and soul of the defense for some time in DC. He is currently third in franchise history in games played, sitting behind just Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The blue liner is also just 17 games behind Backstrom for second all-time, and should eclipse that mark this season.

Carlson will lead the top rotation with Jakob Chychrun this season. He is also expected to be on the top penalty kill unit as well as on the top powerplay unit. The Caps may look to extend him after the season, considering his production has remained consistent.

Still, there is a youth movement in Washington. Three of the top eight players in games played for the franchise are active. Ovechkin could be done after this year. Tom Wilson joins that group, but is also just 31 years old.

The front office has shown they are willing to part with longtime players if necessary. This was most recently seen with Dmitry Orlov and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Both of them are top-15 in games played with the franchise. While his future may not be secured, if Carlson can continue to be productive and help the Caps win another Stanley Cup in 2025-26, it will go a long way towards helping him secure his next contract.