Prior to the offseason, one of the biggest questions facing the Capitals was whether top blueliner John Carlson would test free agency. After a career year (and oh yeah, a Stanley Cup), Carlson’s stock was sky high at exactly the right time – and there was a chance that between his value on the UFA market and the Caps’ tight salary cap situation, the Caps were going to have to bid farewell to their homegrown defenseman.
Looks like GM Brian MacLellan wasn’t quite ready to part with #74 so easily, though, as he moved out Brooks Orpik’s hefty $5.5 million cap hit right before the draft in part to make room for what is reportedly Carlson’s new deal: an 8-year, $64 million pact that keeps Carlson in DC until 2025.
The new contract makes Carlson the second-highest paid player on the team behind Alex Ovechkin ($9.5 mil) and takes advantage of the one thing the Caps could offer that other teams could not (besides “Uncle” Andre Burakovsky) – an eight-year deal, as unrestricted free agents can only get up to seven years o the open market.
UPDATE: And now it’s confirmed by the team –