Hurricanes Get John Carlson’s Rights After Ducks Deal. Now Comes the Hard Part.

The Carolina Hurricanes just bought themselves a negotiating window with one of the top defensemen available this summer. And it only cost them a prospect who hasn’t played an NHL game and a late draft pick.

Carolina acquired the rights to pending free agent John Carlson from the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, according to Elliotte Friedman. The Ducks sent Carlson’s negotiating rights east in exchange for 23-year-old defenseman Kyle Masters, who has yet to make his NHL debut, and the 192nd overall pick in the 2026 draft — which turned out to be teenage center Noah Kosick.

A Wild 2026 for Carlson

This has been one hell of a year for the 36-year-old. After spending 17-plus seasons with the Washington Capitals, Carlson was shipped to Anaheim at the trade deadline in March. The Ducks gave up a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third-rounder to get him. Four months later, they’re flipping his rights for essentially nothing — a move that’s going to sting for fans who liked the aggressiveness Pat Verbeek showed at the time.

To be fair, the Ducks thought they had a real shot to make noise in the Western Conference. And maybe they did. Vegas proved that if you get hot at the right time, anything can happen. But Anaheim clearly didn’t expect Carlson’s asking price to balloon the way it did after he hit the open market.

Now it’s Carolina’s turn to figure out if they want to pay up.

The Money Question

Friedman reported that the Hurricanes are prepared to offer Carlson something in the neighborhood of $9 million per year. That’s a lot for a 36-year-old defenseman, even one who can still play both ends of the rink. But GM Eric Tulsky is trying to keep the championship window propped open as long as possible, and Carlson would help with that.

Last season, split between Washington and Anaheim, Carlson put up 14 goals and 46 assists with 106 blocked shots. He’s not the same player he was during Washington’s 2018 Cup run, but he’s still effective. He sees the ice well, moves the puck, and can kill penalties. The question is whether that production holds up for the length of a long-term deal.

Carlson will take some time to figure out his next move. But the Hurricanes just made it clear they’re willing to make a big commitment. Now it’s up to him to decide if Carolina is where he wants to finish out his career.