Even though many Hurricanes players and their fans are still understandably basking in the glow of securing a Stanley Cup victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, the NHL does not stand idly by. With just over a week until the 2026 entry draft and a little over two weeks until free agency, the mad dash to the summer break has commenced. In between the shuffle of celebrations, heartbreak, and transactions, the Ducks had the first domino fall in their offseason plans, as John Carlson will not be signing an extension with Anaheim, per Pierre Lebrun of The Athletic.
Bland results
When the Ducks traded for Carlson at the deadline, Anaheim fans had a fair reason to optimistic, as the move signaled that Verbeek finally viewed the team as playoff worthy. While Carlson was no longer the number one defenseman that he once was with the Washington Capitals, he at least had solid offensive numbers with 46 points (10 goals, 36 assists) in 55 games, prior to moving out to the West Coast.
In Anaheim, Carlson played at almost a point per game pace for the rest of the regular season, with 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 16 games. With the Ducks, Carlson became a mainstay on the second pair and was regularly matched with pending RFA, Pavel Mintyukov. In the playoffs however, Carlson left a lot to be desired, as he only notched six points (all assists) in 12 games. Despite being coveted for his powerplay quarterbacking capabilities, Carlson was unable to find the back of the net, which could have been tipped the scales in Anaheim's favor against the Golden Knights in the second round.
What went wrong
For the most part, Carlson can still put up numbers on the scoresheet, but he has definitely lost a step. Even though he had a younger defensive partner, Carlson could not keep up with the pace of play from not only the opposition, but even his own teammates. For example, Olen Zellweger only appeared in three playoff games for the Ducks, but he had a notable impact on the offense by regularly jumping up into the play, to either create a scoring chance for himself or looking for a teammate. Zellweger even notched two points, a goal and an assist, despite his limited usage.
Maybe Carlson's bland postseason can be attributed to his own personal situation though. This was the first time the veteran had been traded and to a team on the other side of the country no less. While the Ducks were exciting to watch, Carlson did not seem to gel with their playstyle, which seems odd given his pedigree. Some players are able to find their grove after being traded at the deadline, but for whatever reason, Carlson could not.
The future of the blue line
With Carlson all but out the door now, two more veteran defenseman remain unsigned for the Ducks; Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas. Of the two, Trouba is still the likelier candidate to get an extension as he is younger of the veterans and was Jackson LaCombe's main stay on the top defensive unit, even though Trouba was probably playing higher in the lineup than he should have. Despite being the captain, Gudas has probably played himself out of an extension, as his role as a bottom pair defenseman can be fulfilled with an in-house option, as it was during the playoffs.
At the very least, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has a little bit more clarity for his offseason plans. With Carlson taking control of his future, another roster spot has opened up for either Zellweger, Mintyukov, or Ian Moore. Verbeek is unlikely to keep all of his young defenseman, but the opportunity is there for one of them to become part the team's future.
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