As the season continues to sour for the Pittsburgh Penguins, there will be plenty of names populating in the rumor mill. Don't be shocked if Erik Karlsson becomes a prime candidate to get moved, especially if their losing ways don't find a turnaround. The veteran defender remains one of their best players on the backend, but with him on an expiring contract, he becomes an option to move.
During a recent appearance on TSN, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun pointed to the Carolina Hurricanes as an early favorite to land Erik Karlsson if a trade happened. We will have to see how the rest of the calendar year goes for Pittsburgh before the team decides to sell off massive figures in the organization. If losses keep piling up, expect many familiar faces to get shipped out of town.
"One team to keep an eye on, the Carolina Hurricanes." Pierre Lebrun continued, "They were the runners up for Erik Karlsson back in the summer of '23 when it was between Carolina and Pittsburgh to get him from San Jose. Carolina has a ton of interest in him. I'm told they still do."
Keep in mind that the Hurricanes would clearly not be the only team to have interest in the defeseman. The issue will be the Penguins working with Karlsson as the player has a complete no move clause in his contract. That means he would need to move that in order to get traded, like he did when he joined the Penguins. This will give Karlsson a ton of say regarding where he ends up.
Pittsburgh Penguins could trade star defenseman Erik Karlsson to the Carolina Hurricanes
The question comes down to what Carolina could send to the Penguins in a trade for Erik Karlsson. Yes, the defender is a pure rental, but with aspirations to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions, one would have to assume they'll pay a heavy price. As Lebrun said in the same report, the Hurricanes seem to have one clear need to get them over the hump, and the Penguins might have the solution.
"They tried to sign John Carlsson on July 1st." LeBrun finished with, "Tampa swooped in and got him instead. But it tells you about maybe the one need that the Stanley Cup Champions feel maybe they still have."
When it comes to pieces that could be a potential return in the Karlsson trade after the new year, the Canes have plenty to offer. With the potential cap hurdle, Pittsburgh would likely need to eat half of Karlsson's cap hit, potentially take on one or two NHL contracts in return. From there, they should be able to command a prospect from the Hurricanes and one of their higher draft choices in 2027.
Since Karlsson has a ton of say in these trade outcomes, it could shrink the Penguins leverage in negotiations.
That being said, landing this headlining name shouldn't come at a super cheap cost. Maybe they only land a first-round pick, but ideally, they can land a strong prospect in return. Looking at past players who were traded similar to Karlsson, and the trade package continues to become clear.
Pittsburgh should expect to take on a throwaway NHL player or two in return to open more cap space, a mid-tier prospect out of Carolina's system, and anywhere from a first to third round pick. It all comes down to how much the Hurricanes envision Karlsson as a fit in their system. One thing is for sure; the defenseman is good as gone without a miraculous turnaround in the coming months.
Add us as a preferred source on Google