John Carlson was reportedly asleep, did not know Capitals had traded him until the morning
RMNB • • sports
Key Points:
- The Washington Capitals traded longtime defenseman John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks for a conditional first-round pick in 2026 or 2027 and a third-round pick in 2027, marking one of the most significant trades in franchise history.
- Carlson, considered the greatest defenseman in Capitals history, spent 17 seasons in DC and holds most of the team's franchise records for defensemen.
- The trade was announced publicly around 1 a.m. Eastern Time while Carlson was asleep, as the Capitals wanted to avoid a repeat of the Nic Dowd trade leak, leading to criticism over how the team communicated the deal to their star player.
- Carlson was aware that Anaheim was among the few teams interested and not on his no-tr
