Erik Karlsson’s got new response to trade rumours!

When Sharks general manager Mike Grier hinted at a possible trade involving star defenseman Erik Karlsson, the latter was said to prefer staying in San Jose.

However, when he was asked about the trade rumours in Montreal on Tuesday ahead of the matchup against the Canadiens, Karlsson had a different response to the chatter when he answered Jean-François Chaumont of the Journal de Montreal. He explained how it reminds him of his time with the Ottawa Senators and the constant trade chatter in Canada.

“Obviously, I’m lucky. I previously played in a market where it was discussed every single year. But I hadn’t been involved in rumors before my last season in Ottawa. I have enough experience, it does not bother me. I understand that it is part of the reality of hockey. Grier has done a good job since he took over. He is driven by his work and wants to rebuild this franchise. To achieve this, he must keep an open mind.”

Which means probably getting a huge return for Karlsson… And the defenseman doesn’t sound bothered by it now. Grier admitted that he will listen to trade calls on his star defenseman. Finally, Karlsson could want a shot at the Stanley Cup as he gets older.

Karlsson has garnered a lot of interest in trade chatter: he leads all NHL defensemen in goals (11) and points (32), and is tied for fifth among NHL skaters in points with Boston Bruins’ David Pastrnak. He remains in control with a no-movement clause in his contract, four more years after this season with an $11.5 million dollar AAV.

There is no doubt that Karlsson is becoming a top trade bait, but a decision from the defenseman on testing the market or not will probably come closer to the deadline in March. Then, we’ll find out what he really felt when he heard all the trade talk.