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 | ||
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MAY 1, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Mitch Marner | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Zach Benson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Rasmus Dahlin | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Tage Thompson | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Gage Goncalves | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Josh Norris | 1 | - | 1 | |
| David Pastrnak | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mattias Samuelsson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Colton Sissons | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Cole Smith | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alex Tuch | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Kailer Yamamoto | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Doan | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brandon Hagel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Noah Hanifin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Dominic James | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Kaedan Korczak | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||