The Washington Capitals and defenseman John Carlson were unable to come to terms on a contract extension ahead of the unrestricted free agent interview period, and in turn, teams have begun calling, according to his agent.
"As of the moment we do not have a deal in place with Washington and as permitted, I am getting/taking calls from other interested teams," agent Rick Curran said, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.
The UFA courting period opened on Sunday, meaning teams can now speak to pending free agents about signing a deal on July 1. Carlson will hit the open market if he goes unsigned with the Capitals before then.
Following the first round of the draft on Friday, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said the club and Carlson's camp were close to signing a contract and that he was hopeful both sides could get something done within the next few days.
The 28-year-old is coming off a monstrous season. He lead all NHL defenseman with 68 points in the regular season, set a Capitals' playoff record for points by a blue-liner with 20 in 24 games, and won his first-ever Stanley Cup.
Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.