Washington Capitals: John Carlson signs winning deal
By Ron Juckett
Defenseman John Carlson will stay with the Washington Capitals. He re-signs for $8 million and the eight-year max. A winning deal for everybody.
The Washington Capitals landed their man Sunday night as John Carlson forgoes free agency and re-signs.
Carlson, 28, stays put for eight years and $64 million. The salary cap hit equals $8 million per year and is a slight discount from what he would have had on the open market.
With Carlson tucked away, the Caps have $13 million left in cap space to use this summer. Plenty of money for Tom Wilson, Devante Smith-Pelly, Jay Beagle and others. The deal has the core players from the 2018 Stanley Cup winners locked up for two more seasons.
Yes, this is a huge step for Washington on the long road of repeating.
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Carlson’s contributions are big. He plays almost 25 minutes a night. His quarterbacking on the power play netted him 28 of his 53 regular season assists. Only Brooks Orpik blocked more shots, 168 to 146.
In the playoffs, no skater logged more ice time than Carlson. His 615 minutes translates into 25:38 a game. Those four power-play goals were tremendous. Championship teams need leaders to step up on the ice. He did that in spades.
Because Carlson hit unrestricted free agency in the prime if his career, he wanted a premium. Washington gave him the maximum-length contract for top-level money. For a player who has never contended for a Norris trophy, this is a major chunk of change. This contract runs through his age 36 campaign.
Yet, his two-way ability makes him invaluable. Carlson has learned to create offense. He is not afraid to block shots. With the understanding he must be on the ice, he rarely takes dumb penalties. Last year, he sat in the sin bin 32 minutes. He played 2032 in total.
If you are a believer in the advanced statistic of point shares, Carlson’s 9.8 total was only behind Alex Ovechkin on the Caps. His 53 assists were tied for 20th in the NHL.
Although eight years is a long time, his value is there. Carlson will produce at a high level for most of the deal as long as he is healthy. As a top defender, no question he plays the full eight seasons.
For the Washington Capitals, keeping John Carlson makes them favorites to repeat. They did it once and know how to get there. A new coach and the championship window is wide open at least the next two years. Take a deep breath. This gets fun.