Ducks’ John Carlson To Test Free Agency

Despite giving up a first-round pick to acquire him at the trade deadline, it appears the relationship between the Anaheim Ducks and defenseman John Carlson won’t last much longer. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Carlson is expected to reach unrestricted free agency, with a preference to return to the East Coast.

It’s not shocking news by any means, but it is somewhat surprising. In early May, TSN’s Chris Johnston reported that the Ducks and Carlson have had exploratory discussions regarding a contract extension. However, these discussions have likely stalled due to General Manager Pat Verbeek‘s tough negotiating tactics.

The discussions have not only stalled; they have completely ceased. LeBrun included a quote from Carlson’s agent, Rick Curran, saying, “I’ve had good discussions with Pat. I told him how much John enjoyed his time in Anaheim. But his preference is to return and play in the East, closer to family and the familiarity with it. Pat was naturally disappointed but completely understood.”

Unless something miraculous happens in the coming weeks, Carlson’s final scoring line with the Ducks will be at four goals and 14 points in 16 regular-season contests, averaging 24:11 of ice time per game. In the postseason, Carlson registered six assists in 12 games with a -5 rating, averaging 24:03 of ice time.

Not only is returning to the Eastern Conference important to Carlson, but so is winning. At 36 years old, the former Norris Trophy finalist is entering the final few years of his career and will be chasing a Cup as much as he can.

He’s not expected to come cheaply. If he’s open to going to Canada, the Ottawa Senators would make for a decent fit for Carlson, and would make a decent pairing with either Jake Sanderson or Thomas Chabot. Additionally, a return to the Washington Capitals makes sense, although their defensive core is already fairly saturated. The Tampa Bay Lightning have limited cap space, but could take a swing at Carlson to replace Darren Raddysh‘s scoring capabilities.

Still, assuming Carlson reaches free agency, this has the Boston Bruins written all over it. Carlson is from Massachusetts, and the Bruins could certainly use a right-handed defenseman to plug into their top-four behind Charlie McAvoy. Furthermore, Boston has more than $15MM available in cap space heading into the summer while already having 14 forwards, six defensemen, and two goaltenders signed through next season.