The San Jose Sharks have been talking about a potential Erik Karlsson trade for weeks now, but we are all still waiting for the trigger to get pulled. The Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins are the two teams that have been linked to the star defenseman, however the Sharks’ asking price and Karlsson’s hefty contract remain significant issues to get a deal done.
Karlsson is under contract for the next four seasons at an $11.5 million cap hit. The deal includes a full no-movement clause and of that big $39.5 million chunk left to be put in his pockets, $13 million has to come in the form of signing bonuses. Sharks GM Mike Grier also a monster return for his player, which led Sheng Peng SJ Hockey Now to take look at why a third team may be necessary to complete any Karlsson trade.
“I heard it’s going to take three teams to get it done,” a source recently told San Jose Hockey Now.
The Penguins have been aggressively trying to land Karlsson though a piece of the puzzle, Jeff Petry, refuses to move to San Jose.
After speaking with an NHL executive, a scout, and Hart Levine of Puckpedia, Peng then put together a three-team trade scenario that could get a transaction done for Karlsson, with the Chicago Blackhawks coming in as the third club to the rescue:
To Pittsburgh Penguins:
Erik Karlsson
Sharks retain $4.5 million per season for the remaining four years of Karlsson’s contract (39 percent)
To San Jose Sharks:
Ty Smith
Sam Poulin
Penguins’ 2025 second-round pick (will upgrade to first-round pick if the Pittsburgh wins either the 2024 or 2025 Stanley Cup, and Karlsson plays at least half of the playoff games in the championship-winning run)
To Chicago Blackhawks:
Jeff Petry
Penguins’ 2024 first-round pick (top-5 protected)
Could this work for all parties involved?
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