At 34, Erik Karlsson can't be in his prime anymore, but he's still a commodity. The Pittsburgh Penguins would trade him "in a heartbeat," as reports have it, which makes him an attractive choice for teams seeking offense on the blue line.
A three-time Norris Trophy recipient, Karlsson remains one of the greatest power-play quarterbacks in the league with great even-strength numbers.
His 40 points rank 11th among NHL blueliners as of Tuesday and his solid play at the 4 Nations Face-Off proved he's still capable of thriving on the grand stage.
But he's not a good match for every club. His lack of defensive prowess is a minus, so he's best employed in a sheltered offensive spot.
His $10-million cap hit for the rest of his contract is another hurdle, although should Pittsburgh offer to cling to 50% may make him more palatable. And Karlsson's hard-sell no-movement clause has him in control over any deal.
Aside from that, he has to generate a lot of excitement, with three playoff clubs jumping out as potential fits right off the bat: the Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, and Florida Panthers.
If Karlsson's willing to go, their GMs owe themselves a look to determine what can be arranged, and we will get more clarity over the next 10 days as the trade deadline draws nearer.
POLL | ||
FÉVRIER 26 | 217 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas Reportedly Wants to Trade Norris Trophy-Winning Defenseman Will Erik Karlsson be traded by the deadline? | ||
Yes | 145 | 66.8 % |
No | 72 | 33.2 % |
LIST OF POLLS |
G | A | PTS | ||
Sam Reinhart | 4 | - | 4 | |
Carter Verhaeghe | - | 3 | 3 | |
Aleksander Barkov | - | 2 | 2 | |
Vasily Podkolzin | 1 | - | 1 | |
Matthew Tkachuk | 1 | - | 1 | |
Connor Brown | - | 1 | 1 | |
Aaron Ekblad | - | 1 | 1 | |
Anton Lundell | - | 1 | 1 | |
Eetu Luostarinen | - | 1 | 1 | |
Jake Walman | - | 1 | 1 | |
Sam Bennett | - | - | - | |
Sergei Bobrovsky | - | - | - | |
Evan Bouchard | - | - | - | |
Leon Draisaitl | - | - | - | |
Mattias Ekholm | - | - | - | |
Gustav Forsling | - | - | - | |
Trent Frederic | - | - | - | |
Jonah Gadjovich | - | - | - | |
A.J. Greer | - | - | - | |
Adam Henrique | - | - | - | |
Complete stats |