The San Jose Sharks have made nearly everyone available for trade. In a season where the team would like to get a high draft pick, Erik Karlsson is single-handedly pulling the team to wins and putting up incredible numbers. He does have a hefty cap hit of $11.5 million AAV for the next four seasons, so it may be difficult for a team wanting to acquire him to fit him under the cap.
There appears to be four teams who could do so and would be willing to as they need that piece to push them into a playoff spot or over the hump. A good amount of cap space will likely have to be retained, but it will really force the Sharks into a much-needed rebuild. Karlsson is leading the Norris Trophy conversation by a wide margin early this season and when healthy he should be a very important asset. Let’s look at the teams who have rumoured interest or who would be great fits for Karlsson to be traded to.
Ottawa Senators
A reunion could be just the thing that helps the Ottawa Senators get over the hump and back into the playoffs. The last time they were in the playoffs in 2017, Karlsson had yet to be traded to San Jose. Now the teams’ roles have changed as the Senators are building up to be contenders and the Sharks are trying to enter a rebuild, clear some cap, and get high draft picks and prospects.
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By now, management has to be sick of empty promises that this is the Senators’ year. The team acquired Claude Giroux, Alex DeBrincat, and Cam Talbot in the offseason just so the team can be tied for second-last in the league 16 games in. The start to this season falls in line with how the team typically starts seasons, and it is always too late when they do make a late-season push. Injuries haven’t helped their cause this season which nobody can avoid, but the back-end in particular has been decimated.
While Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub are out with injuries, the Senators have Travis Hamonic, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Jacob Larsson playing his off-side on right defence. The team is in great need of a right shot defenceman and Karlsson’s elite level of play can help the entire team be more dangerous offensively. If acquired early enough, he could help change the fortunes of the Senators and put them in a great spot to compete in the following years when the team is healthy. The only problem is they would be sacrificing any chance to re-sign DeBrincat and Zub because of the money Karlsson is making.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings and Steve Yzerman aren’t afraid to make big moves in order to build a contender. The team has already taken a step forward after acquiring Ville Husso, David Perron, Dominik Kubalik, and Ben Chiarot. They are fourth in their division and tied for seventh in the conference as they also have young players stepping up this season.
They look like a strong team, but still need that elite player to push them over the edge. The defence is a bit weaker and Moritz Seider has struggled in his sophomore season. Karlsson could be the perfect compliment to Seider to take some pressure off of him on the right side and add a lot of scoring to the back-end. It would likely mean Filip Hronek, who is having a strong start to the season, is out. The Red Wings have a good amount of cap space to work with and of the teams closest to competing, they have the pieces and room available to pull off a deal the easiest for Karlsson.
Florida Panthers
Each season the Florida Panthers have to deal with an injury to Aaron Ekblad. Fortunately this season the injury was less severe and he is already back in the lineup. After losing MacKenzie Weegar in a trade, the Panthers’ defence has gotten noticeably weaker. Brandon Montour was able to step up in a big way when Ekblad was out, but what if the most offensively-minded team adds one of the best offensive defencemen of the past decade?
Montour can play both sides of the ice and Karlsson could easily come in and produce in the Panthers’ system in the top-four. The Panthers have been looking to trade Sergei Bobrovsky since they locked up Spencer Knight to a deal that sees him making a starter’s salary ($4.5 million AAV). The money could offset and the team would have a player in a position they need more help in. Elliotte Friedman brought up the Panthers as a surprise team to watch. But if you look at a potential trade the way I introduced it, it wouldn’t be that big of a surprise. Karlsson could push the Panthers over the edge as that was a big reason why they made the blockbuster trade in the summer.
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken have been a much improved team from last season, but still lacks that number one defenceman. If they continue to play like they are, they will be buyers at the deadline or sooner. With more than enough forwards, they could easily send one of two back in a deal to acquire Karlsson. He would instantly be their number one defender and provide much-needed scoring from the blue-line and on the power play.
The Kraken have a good amount of cap space to work with as well and they would not only be acquiring Karlsson for this season, they will have him for four more years. That is the optimal amount of time for them to be a contender. It will also open room up front for Shane Wright to finally get consistent time in the lineup and all the drama surrounding that can be wrapped up.
Karlsson does have a full no-move clause, so any trade has to go through him. He also likes it in San Jose for he and his family. But if he wants to have a chance at competing for a Stanley Cup, the best chance is with a team that wants to add him for the remainder of this contract.
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