NHL Rumours: Carlson Extension, Treliving’s Future & Andersson Uncertainty

Carlson spent 17 seasons with the Capitals and has been one of the better defensemen in the league across that span. Now, at 36 years old, he is on pace to have his highest point total since scoring 71 points in 2021-22.

After suffering a lower-body injury prior to the Olympic break, Carlson has yet to suit up for the Ducks, but is expected to be in the lineup for their matchup against the Montreal Canadiens on March 15.

Verbeek is known as a tough negotiator, most notably with Trevor Zegras in recent memory, but a deal with Carlson should be relatively simple and will likely come down to whether he wants to stick around or not. The Ducks have a lot of work to do, with Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger as notable restricted free agents, and joining Carlson as unrestricted free agents are Jacob Trouba, Radko Gudas, and other depth players.

It may not be easy, but considering the level of play and the amount the Ducks gave up to bring him in, an extension is going to be a priority for the club.

Treliving Decision Coming in Offseason

Another note from Friedman’s latest podcast appearance was regarding the Maple Leafs general manager. The last time they had a general manager up for a new deal, they had an overwhelming sense of uncertainty until it was too late, and the team and Kyle Dubas parted ways. This left Brendan Shanahan and Treliving scrambling a bit in the offseason, and they don’t want a repeat of that.

Treliving has one more season under contract after the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, and Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment president, Keith Pelley, as well as the rest of the ownership group, are going to be looking for some certainty.

Friedman noted that they won’t go into next season without a decision made, which would either be an extension for Treliving or they may begin a search for a new general manager this offseason.

Vegas’s Lack of Andersson Extension Raising Concerns

After the Golden Knights acquired Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames in 2024, they waited just over a month to get an extension worked out with the defenseman.

For Andersson, it has been nearly three months with no progress on an extension. Now, Hanifin was a deadline acquisition, and his contract was signed on April 11, 2024, so the Golden Knights could be looking at a later point in the season, or even have it as a post-playoff decision, but there is no reason to believe this is a sure-fire deal.

Looking at the package the Golden Knights gave up for Andersson, which included a conditional first-round pick, a conditional second-round pick, Zach Whitecloud, and Abram Wiebe, they are likely not eager to see those assets go to waste.

Andersson hasn’t performed notably well with the Golden Knights. Through 48 games with the Flames this season, Andersson posted 10 goals and 30 points. With Vegas, he has only posted six points in 17 games. Beyond the production, he hasn’t been physical; his expected goals percentage is slightly higher, but considering the difference in team quality, his play has been underwhelming.

It will be a tough decision for general manager Kelly McCrimmon and Andersson’s agent, Claude Lemieux, and as we gear up for the playoffs, the time is winding down for a decision.