NHL rumors: John Carlson linked to Lightning as Darren Raddysh replacement

The NHL is watching to see where veteran defenseman John Carlson goes this offseason. The Ducks defenseman has made it known he plans to leave Anaheim. Carlson, who reportedly wants to go to an East Coast team, is being linked with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Having moved defenceman Darren Raddysh to the Toronto Maple Leafs last week, the Tampa Bay Lightning are exploring the market for a replacement on their backend,” The Fourth Period reported. “Lightning GM Julien BriseBois is examining both the trade market and the free agent pool to see what options are and may become available to him over the next seven-to-ten days.”

Carlson is testing the free agent market. The veteran defenseman posted six points for Anaheim during the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. All those points came on assists. He also proved to be quite effective during the regular season.

“In 71 games with the Capitals and Ducks this past season, Carlson registered 14 goals and 46 assists for 60 points, his highest point total since the 2021-22 season,” the outlet added.

Carlson spent the bulk of his career in Washington. He won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018. He will bring a lot of experience to whatever team he plays with for the 2026-27 campaign.

“As a matter of fact, most people seem to think they would be surprised if John Carlson doesn’t end up in Tampa. He’s likely to go to the Lightning on a short-term deal for big dollars. But it would be considerably less in terms of overall dollars. Like his AAV might end up even higher, potentially than Raddysh’s, just obviously for the shorter term,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast.

Anaheim made the Stanley Cup Playoffs before losing a series to the Vegas Golden Knights. Tampa Bay meanwhile also made the postseason before losing a seven-game series to the Montreal Canadiens.

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