Capitals' John Carlson mishap reaches full ruin

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The Washington Capitals let John Carlson go at the trade deadline. They sent him to the Anaheim Ducks.

Even at the time, it was a bit odd. The Caps weren't out of the playoff race, and they traded a talented, veteran defenseman who had only ever played in their organization. Why?

Well, whatever the reason, it did indeed keep Washington out of the playoffs.

Now, the Carlson conclusion has reached its next step, one that nearly ruins any hope the Caps had of bringing him back.

On Saturday, the Ducks traded Carlson's rights to the Carolina Hurricanes.

That doesn't guarantee that Carlson plays for Carolina in 2026-27. He's still set to be an unrestricted free agent in a few days.

But clearly, the Hurricanes feel they can entice Carlson to stick around. They wouldn't have given up anything to negotiate with him if they thought it was a lost cause.

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And if Carlson does sign with the Stanley Cup champs, it's a brutal outcome for Washington.

Most of the fanbase surely would've liked to never trade Carlson.

Once he was gone, though, at least there was a decent feeling and hope that he could return in the offseason.

Now? It's getting less and less likely.

Carlson isn't the player he once was, but he would've been a calming, familiar face for the Capitals to bring back to town.

Instead, he might be about to join an Eastern Conference rival -- and the team that just won the Cup.