Carlson's future with Capitals unknown after Stanley Cup victory

LAS VEGAS -- On a night when the Washington Capitals were basking in the glow of the present -- their Stanley Cup championship -- Devante Smith-Pelly nudged proceedings slightly into the future.

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The topic was his teammate, defenseman John Carlson, who can become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
"He was amazing," Smith-Pelly said, smiling widely. "He was amazing all year. He took it to another level this year. I hope he's back."
Smith-Pelly added one more thought for emphasis.
"I really, really hope he's back," the forward said.

The Capitals won the Stanley Cup for the first time in their 43-season history by coming back to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.
Washington is hopeful Carlson will be back to try for a repeat.
"We're going to do our best (to sign him)," Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. "He's had an outstanding year. He had an outstanding playoffs. He's a big part of our team.
"Assistant coach] Todd [Reirden] has had a big effect on him. Todd's constantly developing [defensemen]*
Carlson's family was in Las Vegas for Game 5, including his two sons, Lucca, 2, and Rudy, who was born four weeks ago. Asked if he had been blocking out thoughts about the future, Carlson gave an answer that was more about the Capitals than himself.
"I think we just did a great job getting through it," Carlson said. "It's something you just have to do. It's our job."

Carlson has played all of his nine NHL seasons for Washington.
"I think it makes it that much more sweet, knowing what we've been through to get here and the path that led us here," the 28-year-old said. "It's a lot of emotions, a lot of work. A lot of time spent trying to achieve this goal. To be able to finally do it is great."
Capitals coach Barry Trotz said he thought Carlson took his game to the next level when defenseman Matt Niskanen missed 13 games after injuring his left hand in the fifth game of the season.
"When [Niskanen] went out, early, all of a sudden Johnny had to play 30 minutes a night," Trotz said. "He did a great job being able to manage it, being in all those high-pressure situations when you're exhausted. The top guys have to do that. They have to manage their game when maybe they don't have the juice in their legs or had some long shifts.
"All that being said, he's just grown as a young man. Just as [Alex Ovechkin] has grown and [Nicklas Backstrom] and all the guys … what I love about the whole group."
Asked what he and his teammates planned on doing to celebrate, Carlson said, "We'll see … the world is our oyster."