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John Carlson

#74 · Defence · Tampa Bay Lightning

Born Jan 10, 1990 in Natick, Massachusetts, USA (age 36) · 6'3", 225 lb · Shoots right · Drafted 27th overall in 2008 by WSH (round 1)

Trophy case

Stanley Cup NHL Champion 2017-18

Compare with a similar player

The defencemen closest to him in points in 2015-16. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic SJS · 39 P in 67 GP Sami Vatanen ANA · 38 P in 71 GP Nick Leddy NYI · 40 P in 81 GP Jake Muzzin LAK · 40 P in 82 GP Justin Faulk CAR · 37 P in 64 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

02040602009-10: 6 points609-102010-11: 37 points372011-12: 32 points3211-122012-13: 22 points222013-14: 37 points3713-142014-15: 55 points552015-16: 39 points3915-162016-17: 37 points372017-18: 68 points6817-182018-19: 70 points702019-20: 75 points7519-202020-21: 44 points442021-22: 71 points7121-222022-23: 29 points292023-24: 52 points5223-242024-25: 51 points512025-26: 60 points6025-262026-27: 4 points4

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2009-10 WSH 22 1 5 6 11 8 21 29 0.27 $846K
2010-11 WSH 82 7 30 37 21 44 144 70 0.45 $846K
2011-12 WSH 82 9 23 32 -15 22 152 83 0.39 $846K
2012-13 WSH 48 6 16 22 11 18 97 59 0.46 $3.967M
2013-14 WSH 82 10 27 37 -3 22 208 64 0.45 $3.967M
2014-15 WSH 82 12 43 55 11 28 193 74 0.67 $3.967M
2015-16 WSH 56 8 31 39 16 14 124 46 0.70 $3.967M
2016-17 WSH 72 9 28 37 7 10 180 58 0.51 $3.967M
2017-18 WSH 82 15 53 68 0 32 237 47 0.83 $3.967M
2018-19 WSH 80 13 57 70 21 34 185 54 0.88 $8M
2019-20 WSH 69 15 60 75 12 26 189 55 1.09 $8M
2020-21 WSH 52 10 34 44 -5 12 128 52 0.85 $8M
2021-22 WSH 78 17 54 71 13 20 195 73 0.91 $8M
2022-23 WSH 40 9 20 29 -7 12 124 42 0.73 $8M
2023-24 WSH 82 10 42 52 -7 40 176 69 0.63 $8M
2024-25 WSH 79 5 46 51 17 22 167 49 0.65 $8M
2025-26 WSH 55 10 36 46 11 26 115 20 0.84 $8M
2025-26 ANA 16 4 10 14 -2 6 38 6 0.88
2026-27 TBL 4 2 2 4 0 0 14 3 1.00 $8.5M
18 seasons Career 1163 172 617 789 112 396 2687 953 0.68

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2009-10 WSH 7 1 3 4 6 0 14 5 0.57
2010-11 WSH 9 2 1 3 -2 4 23 15 0.33
2011-12 WSH 14 2 3 5 -1 8 27 30 0.36
2012-13 WSH 7 0 1 1 -4 4 21 4 0.14
2014-15 WSH 14 1 5 6 3 4 41 26 0.43
2015-16 WSH 12 5 7 12 -2 4 49 24 1.00
2016-17 WSH 13 2 2 4 1 4 38 21 0.31
2017-18 WSH 24 5 15 20 11 8 80 36 0.83
2018-19 WSH 7 0 5 5 0 6 23 14 0.71
2019-20 WSH 5 0 6 6 -11 2 11 4 1.20
2020-21 WSH 5 0 2 2 -2 6 8 6 0.40
2021-22 WSH 6 1 4 5 -5 2 12 14 0.83
2023-24 WSH 4 1 1 2 -1 2 14 4 0.50
2024-25 WSH 10 1 2 3 3 2 13 10 0.30
2025-26 ANA 12 0 6 6 -5 4 25 14 0.50
15 seasons Playoffs 149 21 63 84 -9 60 399 227 0.56

2015-16 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
56 8 31 39 16 14 124 46 0.70 6.5 23:42

Contract

$3.967MCap hitends in 2018, then UFA
$102KCap dollars per point39 points in 56 games
$463KCap dollars per goal above replacement8.6 goals above replacement
$6MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$2MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 668 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Washington Capitals on Sep 15, 2012, as a new contract: 6 years and $23.8M, beginning in 2012-13. It runs through 2017-18, with 2 seasons left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2012-13 $3.967M $3.8M $0 $3.8M
2013-14 $3.967M $4M $0 $4M
2014-15 $3.967M $4M $0 $4M
2015-16 $3.967M $4M $0 $4M
2016-17 $3.967M $4M $0 $4M
2017-18 $3.967M $4M $0 $4M

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Jul 1, 2026 Tampa Bay Lightning New contract 2026-27 to 2027-28 2 $17M $8.5M
Jun 25, 2018 Washington Capitals Extension 2018-19 to 2025-26 8 $64M $8M
Sep 15, 2012 Washington Capitals New contract 2012-13 to 2017-18 6 $23.8M $3.967M
Nov 4, 2008 Washington Capitals Entry-level 2009-10 to 2011-12 signed for 2008-09, slid 3 $2.625M $846K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2015-16 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2015-16 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+8.6Goals above replacement87th of 675 skaters, 26th of 230 defencemen
+1.4Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+4.2Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 230 ranked defencemen: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile.

Even-strength offence+3.1 94th percentileEven-strength defence+0.1 53rd percentilePower play+0.2 85th percentilePenalty kill+0.1 64th percentilePenalties+0.7 91st percentile

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater, and the rank beside it is among defencemen. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

0510152010-112013-142016-172019-202022-232025-26Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

50.5Corsi for %921 attempts for, 903 against
-1.2CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
51.5Expected goals for %37.0 expected for, 34.9 against
-0.3xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
51.3Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
59.2Goals for %42 for, 29 against
101.7PDO8.3% shooting + 93.5% saves
168Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 561 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Defence pairGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
John Carlson · Nate Schmidt44574:5448.650.021-18
Brooks Orpik · John Carlson27271:1453.453.817-10
Karl Alzner · John Carlson3231:5947.348.11-0
John Carlson · Dmitry Orlov2828:1453.348.90-1

The pairs he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's pairs that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

8Goalsnot counting empty-netters
6.7Expected goalsfrom 179 unblocked attempts
+1.3Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.30 expected goals per 60 minutes90th
Shot quality 3.8% chance per attempt81st
Finishing +1.3 goals above expected80thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of defencemen he is ahead of, among the 230 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

02468Game 20Game 40Goals 8Expected 6.7

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. Darker red means more attempts from that spot, and each dot is a goal. "Show every shot" switches to a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 9, 2016 @ STL W 5-1 1 1 2 3 0 4 1 22:09
Apr 7, 2016 vs PIT L 3-4 (OT) 0 2 2 2 0 1 2 25:20
Apr 5, 2016 vs NYI L 3-4 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 22:55
Apr 2, 2016 @ ARI L 0-3 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 18:37
Apr 1, 2016 @ COL W 4-2 0 1 1 2 0 3 0 20:19
Mar 30, 2016 @ PHI L 1-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 22:58
Mar 28, 2016 vs CBJ W 4-1 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 21:10
Mar 26, 2016 vs STL L 0-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 19:12
Mar 25, 2016 @ NJD W 1-0 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 4 0 19:27
Feb 24, 2016 vs MTL L 3-4 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 26:28
Feb 22, 2016 vs ARI W 3-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 23:17
Feb 20, 2016 vs NJD W 4-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 21:33
Feb 18, 2016 @ NYI W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 25:42
Feb 16, 2016 vs LAK W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 21:25
Feb 13, 2016 @ DAL L 3-4 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 24:58
Feb 11, 2016 @ MIN W 4-3 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 23:46
Feb 9, 2016 @ NSH W 5-3 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 24:16
Feb 7, 2016 vs PHI W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 21:50
Feb 6, 2016 @ NJD W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 23:28
Feb 4, 2016 vs NYI W 3-2 0 0 0 -1 2 3 0 23:05
Feb 2, 2016 vs FLA L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 24:17
Jan 27, 2016 vs PHI L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 19:09
Dec 26, 2015 vs MTL W 3-1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 25:11
Dec 21, 2015 @ CAR W 2-1 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 24:57
Dec 20, 2015 @ NYR W 7-3 0 1 1 0 0 3 1 22:13
Dec 18, 2015 vs TBL W 5-3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 26:17
Dec 16, 2015 vs OTT W 2-1 1 0 1 1 0 3 2 21:20
Dec 14, 2015 @ PIT W 4-1 1 1 2 1 0 8 1 24:51
Dec 12, 2015 @ TBL W 2-1 0 1 1 1 0 4 2 23:40
Dec 10, 2015 @ FLA L 1-4 0 1 1 -2 0 2 1 26:10
Dec 8, 2015 vs DET W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 5 1 27:45
Dec 5, 2015 @ WPG L 1-2 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 29:01
Dec 3, 2015 @ MTL W 3-2 0 0 0 -1 2 2 1 22:32
Nov 28, 2015 @ TOR W 4-2 0 1 1 0 2 3 3 23:27
Nov 27, 2015 vs TBL W 4-2 0 2 2 0 0 4 0 24:37
Nov 25, 2015 vs WPG W 5-3 0 2 2 1 0 2 1 23:57
Nov 23, 2015 vs EDM W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 25:35
Nov 21, 2015 vs COL W 7-3 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 23:18
Nov 19, 2015 vs DAL L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 23:28
Nov 18, 2015 @ DET W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 25:45
Nov 13, 2015 vs CGY L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 2 5 2 24:14
Nov 12, 2015 @ PHI W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 22:09
Nov 10, 2015 @ DET L 0-1 0 0 0 -1 2 1 1 25:39
Nov 7, 2015 vs TOR W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 25:12
Nov 5, 2015 vs BOS W 4-1 1 1 2 1 0 2 3 25:20
Nov 3, 2015 @ NYR L 2-5 0 0 0 -3 0 2 2 20:02
Oct 31, 2015 @ FLA W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 28:19
Oct 30, 2015 vs CBJ W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 24:01
Oct 28, 2015 vs PIT L 1-3 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 25:16
Oct 23, 2015 @ EDM W 7-4 0 3 3 2 0 0 0 25:34
Oct 22, 2015 @ VAN W 3-2 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 24:43
Oct 20, 2015 @ CGY W 6-2 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 21:14
Oct 17, 2015 vs CAR W 4-1 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 23:26
Oct 15, 2015 vs CHI W 4-1 1 1 2 1 0 3 0 25:01
Oct 13, 2015 vs SJS L 0-5 0 0 0 -1 0 4 0 25:10
Oct 10, 2015 vs NJD W 5-3 0 2 2 1 2 3 1 22:32