John Carlson
| Position | Right Defense | Current Team | Washington Capitals |
| Shoots | Right | Current Contract | 8 years |
| Height | 6'3" | Expires | 2025-26 |
| Weight (lbs) | 220 | Expiry Age (Jun 30) | 36 |
| Age | 35 (Jan 10, 1990) | Expiry Status | UFA |
| Drafted | 2008, Round 1, Overall 27 (WSH) |
| Date | Team | Transaction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25, 2018 | Washington Capitals | Signed 8 years @ $8.000M AAV starting in 2018-19 | |
| Sep 15, 2012 | Washington Capitals | Signed 6 years @ $3.967M AAV starting in 2012-13 | |
| Nov 4, 2008 | Washington Capitals | Signed to an entry level contract. |
2025-26 Player Card
URL: https://www.thestanleycap.com/cdn/player_cards/20252026/john-carlson-8474590.png
2024-25 Player Card
URL: https://www.thestanleycap.com/cdn/player_cards/20242025/john-carlson-8474590.png
2023-24 Player Card
URL: https://www.thestanleycap.com/cdn/player_cards/20232024/john-carlson-8474590.png
About Player Cards
Player cards present an infographic of a players performance. In this case it shows the player performance over a 3 season span. Each square is separated into three separate sub-boxes with the two smaller boxes on top representing the past two seasons and the larger box on the bottom representing the current or most recent season. This allows the reader to guage how consistent a player has been, and if early in the season it can help identify whether a players performance may be impacted by small sample size and subject to regression or is consistent with recent past performance.
Notes and Definitions
- The numbers represent percentiles so the higher the better.
- Percentiles are determined by comparing Forwards to Forwards and Defensemen to Defensemen.
- Bursts/mi are calculated from NHL Edge Data are are speed bursts above 20mpg per mile skated. The NHL doesn't adjust for ice time so the players that skate more will naturally have more bursts over 20, or at least more opportunity to have more. The NHL also does not provide ice time in the context of NHL Edge Statistics, however, it does provide distance skated. By adjusting for distance skated it will have a similar effect to adjusting for ice time but also adjust for situationional effect. For example, Players don't typically skate as much on the PK, mostly within the defensive zone, so don't get significant opportunity in that ice time to get speed bursts above 20mph. Adjusting with miles skates would account for this better than adjusting with ice time.
- Sh%AE is Shooting Percentage above Expected (Sh% - xSh%) and is an indicator of how good a shooter is at converting chances into goals.
- Relative statistics are On Ice - Off Ice statistics and can be an indicator of whether the player makes his teammates better or worse.
- All data is 5v5 except Shooting Hardest and Average, Skating Top Speed and Bursts/mi which are all situations, ES Average which is even strength (NHL doesn't give a specific definition).
Data Sources
- Salary data is from TheStanleyCap.com
- Shooting and Skating (except Sh%AE) are from NHL Edge
- Other statistics are from Puckalytics.com and derived from data from NHL.com
Terms of Use
You are free to use include player cards in written articles, share on social media, or on other public websites under the following conditions:
- You credit TheStanleyCap.com as the source and provide a link back to TheStanleyCap.com or this player page.
- You do not mass copy/duplicate/publish dozens or hundreds of player cards. A few, or a handful for a written article is fine. Be reasonable. Fair use rules apply.
- If you are a high-traffic website you must download and host the image(s) on your site rather than overload TheStanleyCap servers with traffic.
Note: The image will update daily throughout the season so if you want to include snapshot then you must download the image.
If you have any questions, send an e-mail to the e-mail address at the top of this page.
5v5 Individual Stats
| Season | Team(s) | GP | TOI | G/60 | A/60 | Pts/60 | xG/60 | GAE/60 | Sh% | xSh% | Sh%AE | %SA Rush | %SA Reb. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | WSH | 55 | 931:08 | 0.32 | 0.97 | 1.29 | 0.26 | 0.06 | 6.10 | 4.96 | 1.14 | 0.00 | 0.87 |
| 2016-17 | WSH | 72 | 1145:04 | 0.26 | 0.68 | 0.94 | 0.31 | -0.05 | 4.39 | 5.22 | -0.84 | 2.94 | 2.94 |
| 2017-18 | WSH | 82 | 1392:58 | 0.39 | 0.86 | 1.25 | 0.32 | 0.07 | 5.84 | 4.81 | 1.04 | 0.92 | 3.69 |
| 2018-19 | WSH | 80 | 1324:02 | 0.36 | 1.09 | 1.45 | 0.23 | 0.13 | 6.56 | 4.19 | 2.37 | 1.74 | 1.74 |
| 2019-20 | WSH | 69 | 1171:59 | 0.56 | 1.28 | 1.84 | 0.29 | 0.27 | 8.27 | 4.26 | 4.02 | 1.66 | 4.42 |
| 2020-21 | WSH | 52 | 874:42 | 0.48 | 1.17 | 1.65 | 0.27 | 0.21 | 7.61 | 4.21 | 3.39 | 0.00 | 2.31 |
| 2021-22 | WSH | 77 | 1255:56 | 0.24 | 0.96 | 1.19 | 0.31 | -0.07 | 3.91 | 5.05 | -1.14 | 2.20 | 1.10 |
| 2022-23 | WSH | 40 | 651:42 | 0.28 | 0.64 | 0.92 | 0.32 | -0.05 | 4.00 | 4.66 | -0.66 | 0.86 | 3.45 |
| 2023-24 | WSH | 82 | 1487:19 | 0.16 | 0.73 | 0.89 | 0.27 | -0.11 | 3.28 | 5.53 | -2.25 | 1.08 | 4.84 |
| 2024-25 | WSH | 79 | 1282:12 | 0.14 | 1.26 | 1.40 | 0.25 | -0.11 | 2.63 | 4.73 | -2.10 | 0.00 | 1.69 |
| 2025-26 | WSH | 12 | 190:38 | 0.31 | 0.63 | 0.94 | 0.42 | -0.10 | 5.00 | 6.66 | -1.66 | 0.00 | 10.34 |
5v5 On Ice Stats
| Season | Team(s) | GP | TOI | SAF/60 | GF/60 | xGF/60 | SAA/60 | GA/60 | xGA/60 | GF% | xGF% | xGF Rel | xGA Rel | xGF% Rel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | WSH | 55 | 931:08 | 42.66 | 2.58 | 2.57 | 40.72 | 1.74 | 2.38 | 59.70 | 51.91 | 0.12 | 0.15 | -0.46 |
| 2016-17 | WSH | 72 | 1145:04 | 41.87 | 2.62 | 2.54 | 43.23 | 2.10 | 2.57 | 55.56 | 49.76 | 0.09 | 0.40 | -3.29 |
| 2017-18 | WSH | 82 | 1392:58 | 42.73 | 2.67 | 2.55 | 46.48 | 2.46 | 2.70 | 52.10 | 48.62 | 0.16 | 0.02 | 1.39 |
| 2018-19 | WSH | 80 | 1324:02 | 46.99 | 4.08 | 2.76 | 45.41 | 2.81 | 2.87 | 59.21 | 49.01 | 0.43 | 0.29 | 1.51 |
| 2019-20 | WSH | 69 | 1171:59 | 46.02 | 3.23 | 2.69 | 43.62 | 2.97 | 2.61 | 52.07 | 50.79 | 0.18 | 0.19 | -0.19 |
| 2020-21 | WSH | 52 | 874:42 | 42.25 | 3.02 | 2.43 | 40.88 | 2.68 | 2.35 | 53.01 | 50.78 | 0.17 | 0.21 | -0.44 |
| 2021-22 | WSH | 77 | 1255:56 | 44.24 | 2.77 | 2.62 | 41.32 | 2.39 | 2.54 | 53.70 | 50.79 | 0.11 | 0.21 | -1.10 |
| 2022-23 | WSH | 40 | 651:42 | 48.34 | 2.85 | 2.99 | 44.19 | 3.13 | 2.86 | 47.69 | 51.12 | 0.59 | 0.33 | 2.44 |
| 2023-24 | WSH | 82 | 1487:19 | 40.87 | 2.14 | 2.53 | 45.14 | 2.66 | 2.62 | 44.54 | 49.06 | 0.40 | 0.20 | 2.32 |
| 2024-25 | WSH | 79 | 1282:12 | 46.56 | 3.04 | 2.82 | 38.75 | 2.48 | 2.34 | 55.08 | 54.62 | 0.45 | 0.04 | 3.92 |
| 2025-26 | WSH | 12 | 190:38 | 49.73 | 2.83 | 2.93 | 35.88 | 3.46 | 1.89 | 45.00 | 60.82 | 0.45 | -0.33 | 8.07 |
NHL Edge Stats
| Skating | Shooting | Zone Time | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Top Speed | Bursts>20/mi | Avg. Speed | ES Avg. Speed | Top Speed | Avg. Speed | %Long Range | %Mid Range | %High Danger | ES DZ% | ES NZ% | ES OZ% |
| This table is for Basic and Premium subscribers only. To view please login to and/or subscribe to one of our subscription plans. | |||||||||||||
Legend
| Percentile 0-25 | Percentile 25-50 | Percentile 50-75 | Percentile 75-100 |
5v5 Defense Pairs
| Season | Teammate | Team | TOI | GF/60 | GA/60 | GF% | xGF/60 | xGA/60 | xGF% | xGF Rel | xGA Rel | xGF% Rel |
|---|
Glossary
| Type | Statistic | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | G/60 | Goals Against per 60 minutes. |
| Individual | A/60 | Assists per 60 minutes. |
| Individual | Pts/60 | Points per 60 minutes. |
| Individual | xG/60 | Expected Goals per 60 minutes. |
| Individual | GAE/60 | Goals Above Expected (G/60 - xG/60). |
| Individual | Sh% | Shooting Percentage. |
| Individual | xSh% | Expected Shooting Percentage. |
| Individual | Sh%AE | Shooting percentage above expected (Sh% - xSh%). |
| Individual | %SA Rush | Percentage of shot attempts determined to be on the rush. |
| Individual | %SA Reb. | Percentage of shot attempts determined to be from rebounds. |
| On Ice | SAF/60 | Shot Attempts For per 60 minutes. |
| On Ice | GF/60 | Goals For per 60 minutes. |
| On Ice | xGF/60 | Expected Goals For per 60 minutes. |
| On Ice | SAA/60 | Shot Attempts Against per 60 minutes (lower is better). |
| On Ice | GA/60 | Goals Against per 60 minutes (lower is better). |
| On Ice | xGA/60 | Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes (lower is better). |
| On Ice | GF% | Goals For Percentage = Goals For / (Goals For + Goals Against) |
| On Ice | xGF% | Expected Goals For Percentage = Expected Goals For / (Expected Goals For + Expected Goals Against) |
| On Ice | xGF Rel | xGF/60 when On Ice - xGF/60 when not On Ice. |
| On Ice | xGA Rel | xGA/60 when On Ice - xGA/60 when not On Ice (lower is better). |
| On Ice | xGF% Rel | xGF% when On Ice - xGF% when not On Ice. |
News and Opinions
-
Capitals’ John Carlson Reaches 1,100 Games: A Look Back at His Career so Far at The Hockey Writers (Sun Nov 2, 2025)
-
Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, and John Carlson all miss Capitals practice for maintenance after loss to Canucks at Russian Machine Never Breaks (Mon Oct 20, 2025)
-
Rink Roundtable: Previewing the 2025-26 Season at Japers Rink (Wed Oct 8, 2025)
-
Contract Extension Not Guaranteed for John Carlson & the Capitals at The Hockey Writers (Sat Oct 4, 2025)
-
John Carlson reportedly wants to sign a contract extension with the Capitals but is looking for a ‘fair deal’ to stay at Russian Machine Never Breaks (Wed Oct 1, 2025)
-
Giant Center selling shirts of vintage Hershey Bears players like Connor McMichael, Aliaksei Protas, and John Carlson at team store at Russian Machine Never Breaks (Thu Sep 25, 2025)
-
John Carlson needed Rasmus Sandin’s help to watch Nicklas Backstrom’s SHL games: ‘John’s called me about 65 times this summer trying to get my logins’ at Russian Machine Never Breaks (Sat Sep 20, 2025)
-
John Carlson admits he and Capitals have not had extension talks heading into final year of contract: ‘I’ve always been pretty good at focusing on what I can control’ at Russian Machine Never Breaks (Thu Sep 18, 2025)
-
John Carlson models what appears to be Capitals-Nationals crossover jersey in honor of the Nationals’ 20th anniversary season at Russian Machine Never Breaks (Mon Sep 8, 2025)
-
Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nic Dowd, John Carlson, and Sonny Milano have joined informal Capitals skates ahead of training camp at Russian Machine Never Breaks (Wed Aug 20, 2025)
-
John Carlson not one of 44 players chosen to attend Team USA’s men’s 2026 Winter Olympics orientation camp at Russian Machine Never Breaks (Tue Aug 19, 2025)
-
John Carlson, Logan Thompson, and Evgeny Kuznetsov bring out hundreds of Capitals fans to Southern Maryland for autograph signing at Russian Machine Never Breaks (Mon Jul 28, 2025)
-
Evgeny Kuznetsov to appear at public autograph signing in Prince Frederick, MD, alongside John Carlson, Logan Thompson, and Al Iafrate at Russian Machine Never Breaks (Wed Jul 23, 2025)
Current Contract
Standard Contract (UFA) ( ) (0 ratings)
Standard Contract (RFA) ( ) (0 ratings)
| Season | Age* | Clause | Cap Hit | AAV | Perf. Bonus | Sign. Bonus | Salary | Compensation | Minors Salary | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | 22 | $3,966,667 | $3,966,667 | - | - | $3,800,000 | $3,800,000 | $3,800,000 | RFA | ||
| 2013-14 | 23 | $3,966,667 | $3,966,667 | - | - | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | RFA-arb | ||
| 2014-15 | 24 | $3,966,667 | $3,966,667 | - | - | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | RFA-arb | ||
| 2015-16 | 25 | $3,966,667 | $3,966,667 | - | - | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | RFA-arb | ||
| 2016-17 | 26 | $3,966,667 | $3,966,667 | - | - | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | RFA-arb | ||
| 2017-18 | 27 | $3,966,667 | $3,966,667 | - | - | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | UFA | ||
| Total | - | - | $23,800,000 | $23,800,000 | $23,800,000 |
Entry Level Contract ( ) (0 ratings)
| Season | Age* | Clause | Cap Hit | AAV | Perf. Bonus | Sign. Bonus | Salary | Compensation | Minors Salary | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | 18 | $875,000 | $875,000 | - | $87,500 | - | $87,500 | - | ELC | ||
| 2009-10 | 19 | $845,833 | $845,833 | - | $87,500 | $787,500 | $875,000 | $65,000 | ELC | ||
| 2010-11 | 20 | $845,833 | $845,833 | - | $87,500 | $787,500 | $875,000 | $65,000 | ELC | ||
| 2011-12 | 21 | $845,833 | $845,833 | - | - | $787,500 | $787,500 | $65,000 | ELC | ||
| Total | - | $262,500 | $2,362,500 | $2,625,000 | $195,000 |
Career Statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | League | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | Shots | Sh% | TOI/G | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | Shots | Sh% | TOI/G |
| 2003-04 | AYHL 13U | New Jersey Rockets 13U AAA | 25 | 20 | 15 | 35 | 50 | |||||||||||||
| 2004-05 | AYHL 14U | New Jersey Rockets 14U AAA | 25 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 32 | |||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | AtJHL | N.J. Rockets | 38 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 42 | |||||||||||||
| 2006-07 | AtJHL | N.J. Rockets | 44 | 12 | 38 | 50 | 96 | |||||||||||||
| 2006-07 | USHL | Indiana | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 2007-08 | USHL | Indiana | 59 | 12 | 31 | 43 | +11 | 72 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +2 | ||||||||
| 2008-09 | AHL | Hershey | 16 | 2 | 1 | 3 | +3 | |||||||||||||
| 2008-09 | OHL | London | 59 | 16 | 60 | 76 | +23 | 65 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 22 | +11 | 16 | ||||||
| 2009-10 | WJC-A | USA | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 2009-10 | AHL | Hershey | 48 | 4 | 35 | 39 | +37 | 26 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 6 | +7 | 8 | ||||||
| 2009-10 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 22 | 1 | 5 | 6 | +11 | 8 | 21 | 4.8 | 15:15 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | +6 | 14 | 7.1 | 20:14 | |
| 2010-11 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 82 | 7 | 30 | 37 | +21 | 44 | 144 | 4.9 | 22:39 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 4 | 23 | 8.7 | 24:24 |
| 2011-12 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 82 | 9 | 23 | 32 | -15 | 22 | 152 | 5.9 | 21:52 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -1 | 8 | 27 | 7.4 | 24:02 |
| 2012-13 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 48 | 6 | 16 | 22 | +11 | 18 | 97 | 6.2 | 23:01 | 7 | 1 | 1 | -4 | 4 | 21 | 0.0 | 22:29 | |
| 2013-14 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 82 | 10 | 27 | 37 | -3 | 22 | 208 | 4.8 | 24:31 | |||||||||
| 2013-14 | Olympics | USA | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 2014-15 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 82 | 12 | 43 | 55 | +11 | 28 | 193 | 6.2 | 23:04 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 6 | +3 | 4 | 41 | 2.4 | 23:57 |
| 2015-16 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 56 | 8 | 31 | 39 | +16 | 14 | 124 | 6.4 | 23:42 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 12 | -2 | 4 | 49 | 10.2 | 26:54 |
| 2016-17 | WCup | USA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | |||||||||||||
| 2016-17 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 72 | 9 | 28 | 37 | +7 | 10 | 180 | 5.0 | 22:43 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 | +1 | 4 | 38 | 5.3 | 22:24 |
| 2017-18 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 82 | 15 | 53 | 68 | 32 | 237 | 6.3 | 24:47 | 24 | 5 | 15 | 20 | +11 | 8 | 80 | 6.2 | 25:38 | |
| 2018-19 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 80 | 13 | 57 | 70 | +21 | 34 | 185 | 7.0 | 25:04 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 0.0 | 26:14 | ||
| 2019-20 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 69 | 15 | 60 | 75 | +12 | 26 | 189 | 7.9 | 24:38 | 5 | 6 | 6 | -11 | 2 | 11 | 0.0 | 24:50 | |
| 2020-21 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 52 | 10 | 34 | 44 | -5 | 12 | 128 | 7.8 | 23:47 | 5 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 6 | 8 | 0.0 | 25:55 | |
| 2021-22 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 78 | 17 | 54 | 71 | +13 | 20 | 195 | 8.7 | 23:49 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -5 | 2 | 12 | 8.3 | 24:36 |
| 2022-23 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 40 | 9 | 20 | 29 | -7 | 12 | 124 | 7.3 | 23:23 | |||||||||
| 2023-24 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 82 | 10 | 42 | 52 | -7 | 40 | 176 | 5.7 | 25:54 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 2 | 14 | 7.1 | 29:12 |
| 2024-25 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 79 | 5 | 46 | 51 | +17 | 22 | 167 | 3.0 | 23:34 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | +3 | 2 | 13 | 7.7 | 24:15 |
| 2025-26 | NHL | Washington Capitals | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 24 | 8.3 | 23:26 | ||||||||||
| NHL Career | 1098 | 158 | 574 | 732 | +103 | 366 | 2544 | 6.2 | 23:37 | 137 | 21 | 57 | 78 | -4 | 56 | 374 | 5.6 | 24:33 | ||