In exchange, the Caps received a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick. The trade comes shortly after the Caps traded veteran center Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights (more here).
Carlson, 36, leaves the Capitals as their all-time leading defenseman in games played (1,143), goals (166), assists (605), and points (771). He has 10 goals and 36 assists this season.
The veteran defenseman has spent his entire 17-year career as a member of the Capitals since they drafted him with the 17th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft.
He'll be joining a young and hungry Ducks team that is currently sitting right behind the Golden Knights for the lead in the Pacific Division. Anaheim currently boasts a 34-24-3 record (71 points), while Vegas has a 29-19-14 record (72 points).
However, Anaheim has won seven of their last ten, while the Knights have only won four. Carlson will now give the Ducks a major defensive boost that could help them over the top when it comes to the high-powered forechecks that run the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, the Caps are currently fifth in the Wild Card standings and sit four points behind the Boston Bruins for the second spot.