Bruins Should Pursue Free Agent John Carlson But Only at the Right Price – The Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are an unfinished product, and one void to fill: power-play quarterback.

There’s a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) who will be coveted by NHL general managers everywhere, now that defenseman Darren Raddysh is off the board.

John Carlson, a Stanley Cup champion (2018 with the Washington Capitals), played with the Capitals and Anaheim Ducks for a generous $8 million average annual value (AAV) contract. Carlson played only 16 games with the Ducks this season and recorded 14 points. The reason for his absence during the regular season was being injured at the time of the trade between the Capitals and the Ducks.

Carlson was instrumental in helping the Ducks push past the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He added six assists in 12 games on the blue line.

As a pending UFA, the Bruins should lobby his camp to bring him home to Massachusetts and put on the black and gold, donning the spoked-B. Carlson has 1,159 games of NHL experience, recording 785 points (170 goals, 615 assists), and has the wisdom to help a younger Bruins team.

When Carlson was traded to the Anaheim Ducks by the Washington Capitals on March 5, 2026, he left as the Capitals’ all-time leader among defensemen in goals (166), assists (605), points (771), power-play points (273) and games played (1,143).

Bruins Need a Weapon On the Power Play

Carlson could be that extra firepower that’s been missing on the blue line.

Bringing Carlson back home is a romantic notion for hockey fans; he’s a legitimate threat on the blue line and could add much-needed secondary scoring. But the question that arises out of all this is what’s the cost?

His last contract, signed with the Capitals in 2018, was $8 million AAV over eight years, a $64 million total contract value. The Bruins could use his help during the retool.

However, with prospects waiting in Providence, eager to be promoted, general manager Don Sweeney shouldn’t block their path to the NHL with Carlson in the way. The next contract he signs should come with a shorter term (two or three years).

Carlson’s Next Contract Could Command a Staggering Amount

According to insider Frank Seravalli, the veteran could ask upward of $10 million AAV on his next contract, which for the Bruins should be a non-starter.

“John Carlson’s gonna get paid. I can tell you right now, from the teams that I’ve talked to… The teams that are gonna be in the mix, are teams that wanna win, have a chance to win, and can pay. My ballpark for John Carlson at age 36 is something like 3 (years) times $9.5 million. It might end up being $9M, it might end up being $10M, but I think John Carlson is getting a raise. He was that good in Anaheim,” Seravalli said.

Carlson played a total of 71 games during the regular season, recording 60 points (14 goals, 46 assists), and six points in 12 playoff games. It’ll be difficult to argue against how much of a contributor he was to the Capitals and Ducks in 2025-26.

But with only $15.41 million in cap space available, spending $10 million on a 60-point defenseman without augmenting the forward depth any further would be a failure. The Bruins have enough bottom-six depth that utilizing the $5.41 million left over for 40-60 points on the board through two more acquisitions wouldn’t be worth it.

As it stands now, the Bruins haven’t made any major moves this offseason other than trading Andre Gasseau to the San Jose Sharks for two draft picks.

Bruins Need Measured Risk In Free Agency

The Bruins need to act boldly, unlike their other Atlantic Division brethren, who are led by another star turned GM. But measure their risk against the rewards of their decisions, including players like Andrew Peeke and Viktor Arvidsson.