AnalysisJohn Carlson is heading back to the Eastern Conference with Tampa Bay. Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn ImagesJuly 2, 2026 6:00 am EDT Updated The contractThe Tampa Bay Lightning signed defenseman John Carlson to a two-year, $17 million contract.Shayna Goldman: With Zach Werenski staying with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Lightning had to pivot to find a Darren Raddysh replacement. Carlson still has the offensive juice to be that.That cap hit comes in above AFP Analytics’ projection for Carlson ($7 million) but is one year shorter, which makes sense with his age in mind. But it’s below what he’s projected to be worth over that time ($9.9 million a year).Obviously, there’s some risk in betting on a 36-year-old defenseman. There can be some volatility in aging curves, especially at this point in a player’s career. It’s not like Tampa Bay’s core is getting any younger, either. The Anaheim Ducks, at least, had a lot of pace and tempo to help make up for what Carlson’s skating lacks at this point in his career. So there is a chance that his foot speed gets more exposed with the Lightning, whose pace was an issue at times in Round 1 of this year’s playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens.