John Carlson, Washington Capitals

This month’s player spotlight is on recently signed defensemen, John Carlson. The Natick, Massachusetts native was drafted by the Capitals in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Less than two years later, John made his NHL debut with the Capitals and has since appeared in over 700 games during eight seasons. The 2017-18 season marked the final year of John’s current six-year contract. Accordingly, John led all defensemen in both regular season and playoff scoring, highlighted by a Stanley Cup Championship with the Capitals. It is not surprising that before John could hit free agency, the Capitals finalized an 8-year contract making him a Capital for the long-term.