Hurricanes traded for John Carlson, but he might actually leave for Flyers, Lightning or Bruins

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Carolina made a shrewd move to acquire John Carlson's rights in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2026 NHL Draft.

The veteran defenseman is heading for free agency, and the Hurricanes gave themselves a chance to negotiate with him ahead of time.

It might not pay off, though.

The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun suggests in a new article this week that Carlson may not agree to a contract with Carolina and instead could test the open market.

"There is no guarantee the Hurricanes will be able to sign him," LeBrun writes.

Part of the problem is that it appears Carlson is asking for a big number.

"The entry point asking price from Carlson’s camp is two years and $10 million per season," LeBrun writes. "I suppose one way to bring that AAV down is to tack on more years, getting creative in that sense. So a longer-term deal still could get Carlson $20 million in the first two years, with subsequent years on a lower salary bringing down the cap hit."

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LeBrun goes on to mention three Eastern Conference teams as possibilities.

"We’ll see whether Carolina can lock him up or if he goes to market, where teams such as the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Lightning will get a crack at him," LeBrun writes.

Notably, LeBrun doesn't mention the Washington Capitals.

Before the trade deadline, Carlson had played his entire career for the Caps.

Now, it's looking like one way or another he's going to play for an Eastern Conference foe in 2026-27.