The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline was relatively anti-climactic overall, but the same can't be said for longtime Washington Capital turned Anaheim Duck John Carlson.
The 36-year-old, who had played his entire career in the nation's capital before shockingly being shipped from DC to California, admitted that getting traded in the middle of the night is not at all an ideal circumstance.
“In the middle of the night is not the best way to find out some very altering news like that,” Carlson said on Friday before flying from Washington to Anaheim, per NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. “But it’s just been a crazy day, I would say; a crazy day with my family, a crazy day, packing, getting ready, saying goodbyes.”
The 2018 Stanley Cup champion continued: “Obviously, in the days leading up, I became more aware of the potential for something like this to happen, and that's where I stood. So, it wasn't a total blindside or anything like that. Maybe the timing of the whole situation was a little wacky, but I guess that's just part of it and whatnot. But I'm excited, thrilled to be with the Ducks.”
Carlson told Gulitti that his cousin, who was plowing snow in the early hours of the morning in Massachusetts, found out before he did.
Although the offensive defenseman is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, no one really expected him to get traded away from the franchise that selected him No. 27 overall in the 2008 NHL Draft.
But that's the business, and Carlson now goes to a Ducks team that is coming out of the rebuild in real time under head coach Joel Quenneville.
Ducks contenders to win Pacific Division with John Carlson
Currently sitting 35-24-3 after a shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night, Anaheim is a point up on the Vegas Golden Knights for the top spot in the Pacific Division.
It's been a terrific campaign for the club, who are being coached by three-time Stanley Cup champion Quenneville, one of only two head coaches to reach 1,000 career wins.
Carlson will make a potent Ducks roster even better; he's in the midst of an excellent 2025-26 season that's seen him contribute 10 goals and 46 points in 55 games. He's Washington's all-time leader among defensemen in goals (166), assists (605), points (771), power-play points (273) and games played (1,143), per Gulitti.
“I think I can add a lot of value, both in my play and what I can do out there, but also what I think I can impart on them mentally, or through talking and chatting,” Carlson said. “I think there's so much talent there, there's so much fun to be had, that it's an exciting proposition.”
The Natick, Massachusetts native had missed four games as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury. He's been labelled as day-to-day and could make his Ducks debut as soon as Sunday against the St. Louis Blues at the Honda Center.
It'll be interesting to see what impact Carlson has in Anaheim as he looks to help the team break a postseason drought that dates back to 2018-19.
