Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours! We are less than two weeks away from the 2025 Trade Deadline. As a result, more rumours are starting to surface as teams start to determine their strategies. Our rumour today involves the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are opening to trading a former Norris-winning defenceman.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Pittsburgh Penguins Interested in Trading Erik Karlsson
Rumour: According to Josh Yohe of the Athletic, the Penguins are interested in trading defenceman Erik Karlsson. A trade could happen now before the Trade Deadline or during the summer.
Analysis: The Penguins traded for Karlsson prior to the 2023-24 season. The Pens made the trade in an effort to try and help the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang win another Stanley Cup. However, the efforts have not paid off. The Penguins did not make the playoffs last year. While the team is currently just seven points of the final Eastern Conference spot, it seems unlikely the Penguins are playoff contenders.
Given the state of the team, the Penguins may look to trade assets to build for the future. It seems the Penguins are willing to move Karlsson and his $10 million cap hit that runs through the 2026-27 season.
Two-Time Norris Winner Shined at 4 Nations
Karlsson has an impressive resume. He won the Norris Trophy with the Ottawa Senators for the 2014-15 season. With the Senators, Karlsson scored 20 goals or more twice. Furthermore, he recorded a career-high 66 assists in 2015-16. After being traded to the San Jose Sharks, Karlsson won another Norris in the 2022-23 season. He also recorded 101 points that year.
Those years may be in the past, but Karlsson showed at the 4 Nations Face-Off that he can still perform on the big stage. He scored a goal against Finland that mirrored the old Karlsson. While the team failed to achieve their goal at the tournament, Karlsson’s performance has put him on team’s radars.
Trade Roadblocks
A Karlsson trade will not happen as it easy as it is to talk about it. There are two roadblocks that could make finding and completing a trade difficult.
- He has a no-movement clause in his contract. He has to approve a trade and is seemingly happy playing in Pittsburgh.
- The Penguins will likely have to agree to retain some of Karlsson’s $10 million cap hit. They do have a one more retention spot available, so the Pens could use it for Karlsson.
March or July?
While contending teams will be interested in trading for Karlsson, it is possible some teams may want to wait until the summer to kick the tires on a possible trade. That is because the salary cap will raise, which would make taking on Karlsson’s contract an easier task. While a team who trades for him now would still have that advantage in the summer, they can save money by waiting.
For the Penguins, they would benefit most from moving the 34-year old sooner rather than later. While Karlsson can still help a team win, he is not getting any longer. Karlsson’s value coming off of 4 Nations may not get any higher. Like we said earlier, it will not be easy to complete a trade, but the Pens need to try and get it done.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire- Imagn Images
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