Carlson delivered two assists in Thursday's 8-4 win over Montreal.
The 35-year-old blueliner has gotten onto the scoresheet in seven of his last eight games with four multi-point performances, erupting for two goals and 12 points during that heater. Carlson hasn't maintained a point-a-game pace for a full season since 2019-20, when he amassed 75 points (15 goals, 60 assists) in 69 regular-season contests, but he's very nearly back at that level to kick off 2025-26 with four goals and 19 points in 20 games.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Three-point night against Oilers
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Carlson racked up three assists with two PIM and a plus-4 rating in Wednesday's 7-4 win over Edmonton.
The three points were a season high for the veteran blueliner, who has been on a tear in November with two goals and 10 points in the last seven games. Carlson has seen his production tail off the last few seasons, but the 35-year-old may be turning back the clock -- with four goals and 17 points in 19 contests, he's on pace to top 70 points for the first time since 2021-22.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Suiting up Monday
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Carlson (upper body) is in the lineup for Monday's road matchup versus the Bruins, according to Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.
Carlson will resume his usual role on the top pairing and No. 1 power-play unit in Boston. As a result of his return to the lineup, Declan Chisholm will be a healthy scratch. The 35-year-old Carlson has generated four goals and 14 points through 17 appearances this season.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Officially deemed game-time call
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Carlson (upper body) will be a game-time decision for Monday's matchup against Los Angeles, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Initial reports suggested that Carlson should be good to go for Monday's game, but the Capitals will wait to evaluate the defenseman in the hours leading up to puck drop before determining his status. If Carlson is able to suit up, Trevor van Riemsdyk will be a candidate to come out of the lineup.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Set to return Monday
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Carlson (upper body) is slated to be available for Monday's game against the Kings, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Carlson missed Saturday's game against the Devils due to an upper-body injury, but he should be back in action following his one-game absence. The 35-year-old was riding a five-game point streak prior to his injury, recording two goals, five assists, seven blocked shots, a hit, a plus-3 rating and two PIM while averaging 21:55 of ice time.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Unavailable Saturday
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Carlson (upper body) won't play against New Jersey on Saturday, according to Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.
Carlson's five-game scoring streak will be interrupted as a result of his injury. He has four goals and 14 points in 17 appearances this season. Trevor van Riemsdyk might draw into the lineup Saturday after being a healthy scratch in Washington's previous two games.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Game-time decision Saturday
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Carlson (upper body) missed morning skate and will be a game-time decision Saturday versus New Jersey, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports.
Carlson is on a five-game scoring streak with two goals and five assists. He has four tallies and 14 points in 17 games this season. If Carlson is unable to play, look for Trevor van Riemsdyk to enter the lineup.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Two helpers Tuesday
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Carlson picked up two assists, one on the power play, in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.
The veteran blueliner extended his point streak to four games with the performance, a stretch in which he's collected two goals and six points. Carlson has been streaky so far this season, but the overall results have been good. He's delivered four goals, 13 points, 35 shots on net, 26 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in 16 contests.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Three-game, four-point streak
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Carlson scored a goal Saturday in a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay.
Carlson was credited with the goal after he fired a point shot that got behind Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Tampa Bay defender Erik Cernak accidentally punched the puck in the net while attempting to clear it. Carlson is on a three-game point streak (two goals, two assists). The 35-year-old veteran has 11 points in 15 games, a pace that could see him hit 60 points this season.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Two points in win
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Carlson collected an even-strength goal and a power-play assist in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Blues.
It was Carlson's tally midway through the second period that chased Jordan Binnington from the St. Louis crease, giving Washington a 4-0 lead. The veteran blueliner snapped a four-game point drought with the performance, and through 13 contests this season, Carlson has delivered three goals and nine points, including four power-play helpers.
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Capitals' John Carlson: On five-game point streak
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Carlson scored a goal on three shots and added an assist in Friday's 5-1 win over the Blue Jackets.
Carlson is riding a five-game point streak, which includes both of his goals and four of his five assists so far this season. The 35-year-old defenseman doesn't look to be slowing down in his 17th campaign, which is great news for his fantasy managers, who have come to expect a 50-point floor from the defenseman. Carlson has added 22 shots on net, 12 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating over eight appearances in 2025-26, but it's the offense that keeps him a staple in fantasy lineups.
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Capitals' John Carlson: On goal-scoring board
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Carlson had a goal on three shots on goal but a minus-2 rating during his 23:39 of ice time in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks.
Carlson, a double-digit goal scorer in eight seasons in his career, got on the board for the first time this year Sunday. The 35-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down as a point producer, with four points through six games this season and coming off of back-to-back seasons cracking the 50-point mark. As long as he remains the top power-play quarterback, the production is surely to keep coming for the 17-year Capital.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Snags helper in Saturday's win
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Carlson recorded an assist, two shots on goal and three blocked shots in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Islanders.
Carlson remains the Capitals' top blueliner to begin 2025-26, with plenty of ice time in all situations. He's at one assist, four shots on net and eight blocked shots over two appearances to begin the season. The 35-year-old defenseman has topped the 50-point mark in each of the last two years and also provides plenty of shots and blocks to round out his contributions for fantasy.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Three-game, three-point streak
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Carlson scored a power-play goal in a 3-1 win over the Hurricanes on Thursday in Game 2.
His goal stood as the winner. Carlson beat Frederik Andersen with a one-timer from the left circle off a cross-slot pass from Tom Wilson at 1:54 of the third frame. It was his first goal of the 2024-25 playoffs. Carlson is riding a three-game, three-point scoring streak (one goal, two assists) with 10 shots and a plus-8 rating.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Assists in back-to-back games
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Carlson picked up an assist in Tuesday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 1.
Carlson is warming up with a point in each of his last two games; both were assists. The whole Caps squad, save for Logan Thompson in net, was pretty much missing in action Tuesday. Carlson will be counted on for leadership to help kickstart the squad for Game 2, or the Caps won't have a chance in this series. That's how good the Canes were Tuesday.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Expected to return for Game 1
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Carlson (rest) is slated to play in Game 1 of Washington's first-round series against Montreal on Monday, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports Saturday.
Carlson hasn't been in the lineup since last Saturday, so he should be well-rested for the beginning of the postseason. He finished the regular season with five goals, 51 points, 49 hits and 131 blocks across 79 outings. Based on Saturday's practice, Carlson could skate on the top pairing alongside Jakob Chychrun versus the Canadiens in Game 1.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Still out Thursday
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Carlson (rest) won't play Thursday versus the Penguins, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports.
The Capitals will play with 13 forwards and five defensemen for their regular-season finale. Carlson has rested the last three games, and while there's no glaring concern about the 35-year-old's status, that much rest will at least raise some eyebrows. It's unclear whether his rest will impact his status for Game 1 versus the Canadiens on Monday.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Game-time call Tuesday
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Carlson (rest) will be a game-time decision for Tuesday's divisional matchup against the Islanders, according to Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post.
Carlson's status for Tuesday's game is up in the air after he was also given a rest day Sunday against the Blue Jackets. Dylan McIlrath will continue to operate in a third-pairing role if Carlson doesn't suit up against the Islanders. Carlson has generated five goals, 51 points and a plus-17 rating across 79 appearances in 2024-25.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Sitting out Sunday
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Carlson (rest) won't play against Columbus on Sunday, according to Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post.
Carlson will skip the second half of Washington's back-to-back set versus the Blue Jackets for maintenance. He has accounted for five goals, 51 points, 167 shots on net and 131 blocked shots through 79 appearances this season. Carlson will probably play Tuesday versus the Islanders or Thursday against the Penguins before the beginning of the playoffs. Dylan McIlrath will replace Carlson in Sunday's lineup.
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Capitals' John Carlson: Distributes three helpers
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Carlson logged three assists, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 5-3 win over the Blackhawks.
It was fitting that Carlson had a hand in both of Alex Ovechkin's goals in this game, which saw Ovechkin pull even with Wayne Gretzky atop the all-time goals leaderboard. Carlson has the second-most assists (158) on goals by Ovechkin, trailing only Nicklas Backstrom's (hip) 279. This was Carlson's first multi-point game since March 9 versus the Kraken, and he's now at 50 points (five goals, 45 assists), 164 shots on net, 127 blocked shots and a plus-22 rating across 76 appearances in 2024-25. He's on track to pass the 52-point campaign he put together last season.
