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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 2018-19. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Morgan Rielly TOR · 72 P in 82 GP Mark Giordano CGY · 74 P in 78 GP Keith Yandle FLA · 62 P in 82 GP Erik Gustafsson CHI · 60 P in 79 GP Tyson Barrie COL · 59 P in 78 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 5 2 2 4 -1 0 15 5 0.80 $8.5M
18 seasons Career 1164 172 617 789 111 396 2688 955 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

2018-19 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
80 13 57 70 21 34 185 54 0.88 7.0 25:04

Contract

$8MCap hitends in 2026, then UFA
$114KCap dollars per point70 points in 80 games
$702KCap dollars per goal above replacement11.4 goals above replacement
$8.4MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$442KValueworth 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 696 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Washington Capitals on Jun 25, 2018, as an extension of the contract he was on: 8 years and $64M, beginning in 2018-19. It runs through 2025-26, with 7 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
2018-19 $8M $5.5M $6.5M $12M M-NTC
2019-20 $8M $5.5M $6.5M $12M M-NTC
2020-21 $8M $6M $2M $8M M-NTC
2021-22 $8M $3M $5M $8M M-NTC
2022-23 $8M $4M $2M $6M M-NTC
2023-24 $8M $4M $2M $6M M-NTC
2024-25 $8M $4M $2M $6M M-NTC
2025-26 $8M $4M $2M $6M M-NTC

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 2018-19 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.

2018-19 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+11.4Goals above replacement42nd of 699 skaters, 5th of 244 defencemen
+1.9Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+4.7Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 244 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+6.5 98th percentileEven-strength defence-4.3 8th percentilePower play+2.2 99th percentilePenalty kill+0.8 94th percentilePenalties-0.5 55th 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

50.9Corsi for %1427 attempts for, 1374 against
+3.2CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
49.3Expected goals for %64.1 expected for, 66.0 against
+1.7xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
51.1Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
59.7Goals for %92 for, 62 against
103.3PDO12.1% shooting + 91.2% saves
265Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 591 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 · Michal Kempny69877:0652.249.858-38
John Carlson · Dmitry Orlov66205:5950.049.419-14
John Carlson · Christian Djoos34131:3253.846.59-4
Brooks Orpik · John Carlson3862:0741.143.53-2

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.

12Goalsnot counting empty-netters
10.1Expected goalsfrom 264 unblocked attempts
+1.9Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.30 expected goals per 60 minutes88th
Shot quality 3.8% chance per attempt79th
Finishing +1.9 goals above expected86thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of defencemen he is ahead of, among the 244 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

0510Game 20Game 40Game 60Game 80Goals 12Expected 10.1

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 4, 2019 vs MTL W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 23:46
Apr 1, 2019 @ FLA L 3-5 0 1 1 -2 0 2 0 22:29
Mar 30, 2019 @ TBL W 6-3 0 2 2 2 0 5 0 24:39
Mar 28, 2019 @ CAR W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 24:25
Mar 26, 2019 vs CAR W 4-1 1 1 2 1 0 2 1 21:48
Mar 24, 2019 vs PHI W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 25:07
Mar 22, 2019 vs MIN L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 24:50
Mar 20, 2019 vs TBL L 4-5 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 4 1 29:28
Mar 19, 2019 @ NJD W 4-1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 20:55
Mar 16, 2019 @ TBL L 3-6 1 1 2 -1 0 4 1 27:12
Mar 14, 2019 @ PHI W 5-2 0 1 1 3 0 1 1 25:04
Mar 12, 2019 @ PIT L 3-5 1 0 1 -2 0 4 1 25:32
Mar 10, 2019 vs WPG W 3-1 0 1 1 1 0 0 4 23:37
Mar 8, 2019 vs NJD W 3-0 0 1 1 2 0 1 1 23:56
Mar 6, 2019 @ PHI W 5-3 0 1 1 -1 0 2 0 20:54
Mar 3, 2019 @ NYR W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 26:02
Mar 1, 2019 @ NYI W 3-1 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 23:20
Feb 26, 2019 vs OTT W 7-2 1 0 1 2 0 1 0 20:01
Feb 24, 2019 vs NYR W 6-5 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 6 0 28:36
Feb 23, 2019 @ BUF L 2-5 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 25:03
Feb 21, 2019 @ TOR W 3-2 0 1 1 -1 2 3 4 26:43
Feb 18, 2019 @ LAK W 3-2 0 2 2 -1 2 3 0 23:46
Feb 17, 2019 @ ANA L 2-5 1 1 2 0 0 3 1 22:05
Feb 14, 2019 @ SJS W 5-1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 22:41
Feb 12, 2019 @ CBJ L 0-3 0 0 0 -2 2 1 0 21:44
Feb 11, 2019 vs LAK W 6-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 25:59
Feb 9, 2019 vs FLA L 4-5 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 28:47
Feb 7, 2019 vs COL W 4-3 (OT) 0 1 1 -2 0 3 1 28:41
Feb 5, 2019 vs VAN W 3-2 0 0 0 2 0 3 1 25:19
Feb 3, 2019 vs BOS L 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 24:03
Feb 1, 2019 vs CGY W 4-3 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 27:37
Jan 23, 2019 @ TOR L 3-6 0 1 1 -2 0 4 0 24:50
Jan 22, 2019 vs SJS L 6-7 (OT) 0 1 1 0 2 3 2 26:32
Jan 20, 2019 @ CHI L 5-8 2 0 2 -1 0 4 0 25:50
Jan 18, 2019 vs NYI L 0-2 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 24:16
Jan 15, 2019 @ NSH L 2-7 0 1 1 -2 14 0 1 18:35
Jan 14, 2019 vs STL L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 24:11
Jan 12, 2019 vs CBJ L 1-2 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 4 1 27:54
Jan 10, 2019 @ BOS W 4-2 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 26:55
Jan 8, 2019 vs PHI W 5-3 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 24:20
Jan 6, 2019 @ DET W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 25:50
Jan 4, 2019 @ DAL L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 27:52
Jan 3, 2019 @ STL L 2-5 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 23:24
Dec 31, 2018 vs NSH L 3-6 0 1 1 -1 0 0 1 24:06
Dec 29, 2018 @ OTT W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 26:06
Dec 27, 2018 vs CAR W 3-1 1 1 2 0 0 2 0 25:05
Dec 22, 2018 @ OTT W 4-0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 23:21
Dec 21, 2018 vs BUF W 2-1 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 23:47
Dec 19, 2018 vs PIT L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 29:02
Dec 15, 2018 vs BUF W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 29:11
Dec 14, 2018 @ CAR W 6-5 (SO) 0 3 3 1 0 3 3 25:47
Dec 11, 2018 vs DET W 6-2 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 22:25
Dec 8, 2018 @ CBJ W 4-0 0 1 1 2 0 4 0 21:24
Dec 6, 2018 @ ARI W 4-2 0 0 0 1 0 7 0 24:27
Dec 4, 2018 @ VGK L 3-5 0 0 0 -2 0 3 0 26:39
Dec 2, 2018 vs ANA L 5-6 0 2 2 1 0 2 0 25:16
Nov 30, 2018 vs NJD W 6-3 0 1 1 4 0 2 0 25:12
Nov 26, 2018 @ NYI W 4-1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 23:47
Nov 24, 2018 @ NYR W 5-3 0 3 3 4 0 4 2 24:40
Nov 23, 2018 vs DET W 3-1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 26:32
Nov 21, 2018 vs CHI W 4-2 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 21:56
Nov 19, 2018 @ MTL W 5-4 (OT) 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 25:59
Nov 16, 2018 @ COL W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 24:03
Nov 14, 2018 @ WPG L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 28:25
Nov 13, 2018 @ MIN W 5-2 0 0 0 3 2 3 1 23:35
Nov 11, 2018 vs ARI L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 5 0 25:44
Nov 7, 2018 vs PIT W 2-1 0 2 2 1 0 2 2 28:17
Nov 5, 2018 vs EDM W 4-2 0 2 2 2 0 5 0 24:45
Nov 3, 2018 vs DAL L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 26:54
Nov 1, 2018 @ MTL L 4-6 0 0 0 -4 0 2 0 24:04
Oct 27, 2018 @ CGY W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 27:24
Oct 25, 2018 @ EDM L 1-4 0 1 1 -2 0 4 2 21:04
Oct 22, 2018 @ VAN W 5-2 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 26:06
Oct 19, 2018 vs FLA L 5-6 (SO) 1 0 1 0 0 4 0 29:28
Oct 17, 2018 vs NYR W 4-3 (OT) 1 2 3 0 0 5 0 26:02
Oct 13, 2018 vs TOR L 2-4 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 25:48
Oct 11, 2018 @ NJD L 0-6 0 0 0 -1 4 1 2 26:09
Oct 10, 2018 vs VGK W 5-2 0 2 2 1 0 0 1 25:55
Oct 4, 2018 @ PIT L 6-7 (OT) 1 1 2 3 0 4 0 28:02
Oct 3, 2018 vs BOS W 7-0 1 1 2 1 0 2 0 24:06