Friedman: Penguins Could Trade Erik Karlsson Back to Ottawa
If the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to continue selling after sending out winger Jake Guentzel at the trade deadline, moving defensemen Erik Karlsson could be on the table.
Karlsson has three seasons left on his contract, which carries an $11.5 million average annual value, and he also has a no movement clause, which could complicate the process, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet suggested that a swap with the Ottawa Senators could work out.
“It’s not going to be an easy one to move, it definitely isn’t,” Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts Podcast on Monday. “There is going to be a lot of focus on Ottawa. If there’s one team that you would think would consider it, it would be them with Daniel Alfredsson.”
The Senators drafted Karlsson in 2008, and he played in Ottawa from 2009-18, eventually becoming the team captain. When he first arrived in Ottawa, Alfredsson was his captain, and now the fellow Swede is an assistant coach for the Senators, making for an obvious connection.
Of course, whether the Penguins would actually be interested in continuing their purge with Karlsson is a different story. General manager Kyle Dubas suggested that he considers Karlsson to be a part of the team’s core when speaking to the media late last month, and that’s a group he said he doesn’t anticipate breaking up.
“I still believe our group is capable. There have been many times when we show that (and) there are also times when I understand why anyone would have that question. I think everyone in the room accepts that,” Dubas said.
Karlsson has not been as productive as the Penguins had hoped after acquiring him from the San Jose Sharks last fall. In 63 games, he has scored eight goals and racked up 35 assists for 43 points. In his final seasons in San Joes, he scored 25 goals and had 76 assists for 101 points in 82 games.
Karlsson has also a big part of the team’s power play, which is currently ranked fourth-least in the NHL with a 14.6% success rate.
Categorized:Penguins
Let’s hope so, the sooner the better!
Still a good player who isn’t fitting with the penguins
Any trade combination involving Karlesson to Ottawa, needs to have Chychrun coming back to Pit.
Cabot
Pens could even retain 2M
TBH as an Ottawa fan, I’d keep Chychrun over Karlsson. He’d be nice to have, but no need to acquire him at the moment. So much youth and need some more reasonably priced but effective veterans. Karlsson just too expensive.
Chychrun apparently doesn’t want to be there.
He bought a house there and has family nearby, plus he has come out and said he wants to stay.
He isnt a fit stylistically. I would 100% trade him and Ottawa does make sense. The senators will have a ton of cap space this off-season. There are a few players they have that I would be def take here. Someting tells me they would try and move Norris with 8m contract. Good player, 24 yrs old, 8m a year till 31 but is always injured. I would start elsewhere but there would def salary coming back.
A Norris swap I can see. They already have Stutzle as #1 and Pinto is clearly very important to them, can evolve into a #2. Norris is expendable at that salary, but if I were Ottawa I wouldn’t waste a Norris trade on 3 years of a very expensive Karlsson.
Chychrun please! Tough, solid dman with some offense upsize.
Karllson is an offensive defenseman, he gets points primarily for assists. If the forwards don’t score, his points aren’t going to come. Letang’s assists are down also.
Assists down because they are having to rely too much on forwards playing defense. Send POJ packing too. He is a turnstile, who weighs like 160
Surprised your post wasn’t deleted, criticism of POJ usually verboten
Oh no, They would lose part of that prolific power play!?
Karlsson is all stats and no cups. He has great stats but looks like he could care less if he wins. Just to get rid of the salary would be the best move the Pens could make in the off season.
I agree. Karlsson looks weak and disinterested when when he doesn’t have the puck.
Geno needs to retire even if it effects cap space. He cannot compete in this league for a full season. Karlsson made the power play worse and hence the reason they are where they are. Pittsburgh is a soft team and needs phsyicallity
Yes, please…this! He plays a soft, skilled game with him controlling puck. Penguins are forward focused. Just like with Jake, d
For the amount they would/will have to pay this one player, they can get two highly effective players to add speed, physicality and a little skill to play with pens big three. I like that bunting, rust and Crosby line, with saved money can build 2-4 lines with Malkin, O’Connor and Acairi as centers. Get back to attack mode, and rely more on defense to hold down back end. You know, play defense
Why is Karlson a defenseman who plays no defense. Cant he be a 2nd line center.
Karlsson may be untraceable. I would be surprised if we got close to a 1st round pick. Granlund and Petry were way more traceable than Karlsson. Dubas is a disaster so far.
This team is not going to be competing for the playoffs let alone a Cup for a few years. I see no point in keeping him around. If Dubas can trade him then I would have no regrets. Depends on the return though.
Why would Ottawa want him back? Too expensive, injury prone, defensively suspect.
Friedman was just blathering off the top of his head (and said as much), Ottawa has ZERO interest in Erik at this stage even if Dubas swallowed most of his cap hit, which we won’t do.
Maybe in order to get out of the 11.5 million dollar contract the Pens could trade him for a bushel of pucks, a few dozen sticks and a Zamboni, lol. Dubas at his best.
I don’t see Dubas trading anyone he traded for. This organization is in complete denial of the fact they need to rebuild.
Karlsson’s stats are not that far off of his career pattern for a season — last year was an exceptional year.
Did playing for the past 2 teams break him?