Coming off the final year of an entry-level contract, Washington Capitals restricted free agent John Carlson has yet to sign a new deal with the team. However, the 22-year-old defenseman is not concerned about the situation.
Stating his love of Washington and an understanding of the business, Carlson made it clear that he has no desire to play with any other organization.
Via The Washington Times:
"I love Washington, I love being here, I stay here for a lot of the summer. I like my teammates, I like the rink, I like the fans," he said. "I can't imagine playing anywhere else."
Carlson was chosen with the No. 27 overall selection in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Capitals and has since blossomed into a key member of the team's defense. In 2011-12, he averaged around 22 minutes per game, which was the second-most minutes of any other defenseman on the team (Dennis Wideman averaged 23:54) and played substantial time on both the power play and penalty kill.
In 186 career games, the Massachusetts native has registered 17 goals and 58 assists for a total of 75 points. He has also played in all 82 games in each of the last two seasons.
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