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

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

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

John Carlson, a Stanley Cup champion (2018 with the Washington Capitals), played with the Capitals and the Anaheim Ducks on a generous $8 million annual value (AAV) contract. Carlson played in just 16 games with the Ducks this season and recorded 14 points. The reason for his absence during the regular season was an injury during the trade between the Capitals and the Ducks.

Carlson was instrumental in helping the Ducks get 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 ask his camp to bring him home to Massachusetts and wear black and gold, with a spoked-B. Carlson has 1,159 games of NHL experience, 785 points (170 goals, 615 assists), and has the talent to help a young Bruins team.

When Carlson was traded to the Anaheim Ducks by the Washington Capitals on March 5, 2026, he became 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 Weapon on Power Play

Carlson could be that extra firefighter that was missing on the green line.

Bringing Carlson home is a romantic idea for hockey fans; he is a legitimate threat on the blue line and can add much-needed secondary points. But the question that arises in all this is at what cost?

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

However, with prospects waiting in Providence, desperate for a promotion, general manager Don Sweeney should not block their path to the NHL with Carlson on the way. The next contract he signs should be short-term (two or three years).

Carlson’s Next Contract Could Command an Amazing Value

According to insider Frank Seravalli, the veteran could ask for more than $10 million in AAV on his next contract, which the Bruins should not initiate.

“John Carlson is going to get paid. I’m telling you right now, from the teams I’ve talked to… Teams are going to come together, teams that want to win, have a chance to win, and they can pay. My 36-year-old John Carlson ball is something like 3 (years) times $9.5 million. It could end up being $0M, but I think Carlson is $1M. Raise it. He was that good in Anaheim,” Seravalli said.

Carlson played a total of 71 games in the regular season, recording 60 points (14 goals, 46 assists), and six points in 12 playoff games. It will be hard to argue with how much he contributed to the Capitals and Ducks in 2025-26.

But with only $15.41 million in available cap space, spending $10 million on a 60-point defenseman without adding any forward depth would be a failure. The Bruins have enough bottom-six depth that spending the remaining $5.41 million on 40-60 points on the board with 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 Limited Risk In Free Agency

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