The HockeyBuzz Summer 2018 Trade/UFA Rumor Chart will launch in the next 24 hours and one of the players that I have been most focused on is Capitals defenseman and Natick, MA native John Carlson.
Carlson has largely been cast into the shadows of the more famous (and way more Swedish) Erik Karlsson, but he shouldn't be. John is ACTUALLY a UFA (Erik has a year to go) and he is leaps and bounds ahead of any other projected UFA defenseman....
The Capitals and Carlson are nowhere near an extension and the fact that they haven't had much (if any) preliminary discussions says a lot. Carlson and his team know how valuable he is going to be this summer...for sure.
While I am sure many more teams have interest, so far I have heard 5 teams who I would say are wiling to "Back up the truck" for Carlson...
Montreal (e3), Toronto (e3), Buffalo (e4), LA (e2), and Detroit (e4) are ready to go on this one...and the Caps know this...
The Capitals are hoping they may be able to make a sign and trade work so they don't lose Carlson for nothing, and a few teams are likely to be willing to move a future #1 for him...
What say you?
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— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) August 2, 2017