2 - Number of NHL players currently averaging more than 19 minutes at even strength, four minutes on the power and two minutes on the penalty kill per game so far this season: John Carlson and Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen.
For more on Carlson’s early-season starring role among Caps rearguards, check out Isabelle Khurshudyan’s piece on the subject from yesterday:
Caps need John Carlson to play more than 26 mins a night, so they're challenging him to show he's a top defenseman https://t.co/5F2g9SVyU1
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) October 19, 2017