John Carlson in Montreal: Eric Engels Opens the Door

On Saturday, during the second day of the NHL Draft, the Ducks traded John Carlson's rights to Carolina.

The Hurricanes gave up a prospect (Kyle Masters) and a sixth-round pick to acquire the defenseman's rights, with the goal of persuading him to sign a new contract in Carolina.

But that hasn't happened yet. And now…

And now, that means the defenseman is a free agent. He's free to sign a contract with any team he wants… and according to Eric Engels, the Canadiens are interested in him.

Kent Hughes wanted to add talent to the offense, but that could also happen on defense.

Not sure where John Carlson will land now that he's officially a free agent, but as I just mentioned on @Sportsnet, he's a player the Montreal Canadiens are interested in.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 1, 2026

Having Carlson join Montreal would help the Canadiens improve defensively.

After all, the guy racked up 60 points last season and has a ton of experience. Carlson won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018 and knows what it takes to win.

For a young team like the Canadiens, who only have Alex Newhook as a Stanley Cup champion on their roster, this could get interesting in some ways…

But it could also help Kent Hughes make a big move in the trade market.

By bringing in Carlson, you might not need Kaiden Guhle or Mike Matheson… and that's where it opens up possibilities. Those two guys have some value on the market, and we know Kent Hughes wants to land a talented forward to improve his team.

Let's be clear: Carlson in Montreal would only be for a few years. He's 36 and slowly but surely approaching retirement.

But in the short term, he'd be a great addition. Imagine the top four:

Hutson – Dobson
Guhle / Matheson – Carlson

It's hard to ask for anything better…

Extension

It's worth noting that Carlson is expected to sign a deal that will pay him around $10 million per season.

Would you do it if you were Kent Hughes? And if the answer is no, why not?