Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Erik Karlsson

Latest On Trade Market For Defensemen

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Mentioning the market for defense in the NHL immediately brings to mind at least two things: Jakob Chychrun and the Ottawa Senators, both as they are separately, and the rumors connecting the defenseman to Canada’s capitol. With Chychrun having been on IR to finish last season and now to start this season, the rumors surrounding the 24-year-old had been a bit quieter than usual, but expected to tick up with his return on Monday.

Tonight on Hockey Night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman seemed to confirm this inevitability, expecting talks on Chychrun to begin heating up once the defenseman returns. Another interesting note from Friedman on the Coyotes and their defensemen is the possibility of a trade involving Conor Timmins. A second-round pick in 2017, Timmins’ prospect status has never really been in question, at least for his on-ice performance. Instead, injuries have derailed the 24-year-old’s career. Now on a conditioning stint in the AHL, Timmins appears to be fully healthy and soon to be ready for NHL action, causing Friedman to wonder if Arizona might pursue a trade market for Timmins as well.

A newer name added to the defensemen speculation is San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson. Once thought to be unmovable, Karlsson is off to an incredible start, on pace to set several career-bests already, scoring 11 goals along with 17 assists in just 19 games on the season. With four years left at an $11.5MM cap hit after this season, Karlsson will be incredibly difficult for the Sharks to move even with his historic production, but it just may make doing so possible for the rebuilding San Jose squad. According to Friedman, this also from 32 Thoughts, the Sharks haven’t gotten that far yet in any Karlsson talks. As Friedman says, the belief is that Karlsson has not yet been asked to move his no-movement clause, at least not for any specific team.

Friedman adds that he believes the Sharks are currently trying to determine what other teams are willing to do in regards to the rest of the contract. Of course the Sharks and their potential trade partner will have to work out how much, if any, San Jose retains on the remaining contract and what assets they could get back for Karlsson, which would hinge on how much the Sharks would retain.

One team looking for defense that many want to see on the shortlist to acquire Karlsson would be the Ottawa Senators. Their search for a defenseman in the early part of this season has been well documented and Chychrun has been the number one name associated with them. As reported by Friedman on 32 Thoughts earlier, it is believed Ottawa did try to work on a deal that would have sent Nikita Zaitsev to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Tyler Myers, but the deal did not get far enough for Myers, who has a modified no-trade clause, to be asked for permission. Other pieces would have presumably had to be involved to make the deal work for both sides, but that sort of swap would have benefitted Vancouver to the tune of $1.5MM in cap savings while giving Ottawa the defenseman they’ve been looking for and allowing them to get out from under the Zaitsev contract.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Senators, Schedule

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The hockey hot stove has been abuzz ever since San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier explained that he would listen to calls about star defenseman Erik Karlsson, but there’s one thing that much of the speculation seems to overlook. Karlsson has a full no-trade clause all the way through his contract, which keeps him wrapped up through 2026-27. He would need to sign off on any deal, so Corey Masisak of The Athletic asked him whether he would:

No, I mean, if that question ever arises, you know, it’s going to be between me and [Grier]. It has not. So there’s no point for me to think about that or speculate about that. I’m fully invested here at the moment. We are in a situation where we need to win a few games. I’m just worried about the next one. That’s all I can control. All that other stuff, it is nice for you guys to have something to talk about. I’ll let you have at it. 

Suffice it to say, the 32-year-old isn’t interested in throwing any more gas onto the fire. Instead, he’ll just continue to rack up points in a resurgent year for the Sharks. Karlsson has 24 points in 18 games and played a whopping 34:12 on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild. Averaging the most ice time since he arrived in San Jose, he looks poised for a vintage season near the top of the defenseman scoring list.

  • The Ottawa Senators, who happen to be brought up every time a Karlsson trade is discussed, will honor a different former defenseman next month. Wade Redden will be the second person and first player inducted into the team’s Ring of Honour, joining the late Bryan Murray. Redden, originally selected second overall by the New York Islanders in 1995, made his NHL debut in 1996 for the Senators after being part of a three-team trade and would go on to play 838 games for the franchise. That’s good for fourth all-time in franchise history, behind only Chris Phillips, Daniel Alfredsson, and Chris Neil. Phillips and Alfredsson have already been honored by the team with a jersey retirement.
  • The league has announced several schedule changes for upcoming games, moving around start times and broadcast rights. These include some exclusive ESPN broadcasts, like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Edmonton Oilers on January 19. For all of the changes, check out the NHL press release.

Latest On Erik Karlsson

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Prime Erik Karlsson was a treat to watch, and despite a tough year for the San Jose Sharks, ’EK65’ is giving us some of his best hockey in years. The 32-year-old has a whopping 10 goals, 12 assists, and 22 points in just 17 games while averaging over 25 minutes per game, his highest mark since arriving in San Jose.

With the team nowhere near playoff contention and leaning more toward rebuilding than ever, Karlsson’s apparent return to form suddenly makes his $11.5MM cap hit look more palatable on the trade market, still with some retention on San Jose’s side. General manager Mike Grier told NHL.com’s Nicholas Cotsonika today that he’ll “listen” to offers on Karlsson before this season’s March 3 trade deadline.

As Grier noted in his interview, a second blockbuster trade involving the Swede won’t be a straightforward process. Karlsson has a full no-movement clause in his contract and controls the outcome of any potential trade. Despite the contractual hurdles to moving him, though, Grier was nothing but complimentary of Karlsson’s play:

“He’s a dynamic player. To me, he’s probably one of the three best offensive defensemen in the League, and he’s been great for us. He’s done everything we’ve asked as far as preparation, practicing, playing. He’s been great. So maybe there’s a scenario where a team comes asking for him [in a trade], because I do think he’s a difference-maker. He’s someone who can go out there and win you a game — or win you a series, for that matter — so maybe something will come up down the road. We’ll see.

Karlsson can absolutely be the difference-maker that Grier claims. Karlsson received Norris Trophy votes in eight straight seasons from 2011-12 to 2018-19, including trophy wins in 2012 and 2015. During that timeframe, Karlsson notched 492 points in 545 games, leading the league’s defensemen in assists and points.

Injuries have been a constant during his last few years in San Jose, though, and his play, while still commendable, hasn’t been at the truly elite level he displayed in his prime with the Ottawa Senators. But in just 17 games this season, Karlsson’s already matched his total point output from two seasons ago in 52 games.

With so many teams close to or above the salary cap using long-term injured reserve, however, moving Karlsson to a contender will be a challenge, even at a 50% retention rate of $5.75MM per season. It’s unlikely a third team would be willing to take on another 50% hit ($2.785MM) until 2027 without significant compensation, though, a much different ask than we’ve seen in past similar three-team trades.

If Karlsson keeps up even 75% of his torrid pace to start the season, though, he remains a top-flight defender that can transform a team’s chances of winning a Stanley Cup for the better.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Blackwood, Ristolainen

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, with three Western Conference superstars making the cut. Jason Robertson is on top after scoring four goals and eight points in three games. After missing training camp, Robertson has picked up right where he left off last season and now has eight goals and 18 points in 12 games.

Second and third went to Nathan MacKinnon and Erik Karlsson, who each had their own impressive weeks. The Colorado Avalanche center had seven assists in the two games overseas, both wins in Finland, to become the league’s all-time scoring leader in games played outside of North America. Karlsson meanwhile had four goals and eight points in three games including a hat trick and has already matched his goal total from last year (ten) in just 14 games.

  • Mackenzie Blackwood has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain, and will meet with doctors tomorrow for further evaluation according to New Jersey Devils team reporter Amanda Stein. Blackwood left a game against the Edmonton Oilers on November 3, leaving the Devils with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid as their tandem for the time being.
  • After being scratched on the weekend, some wondered whether Rasmus Ristolainen was still dealing with the effects of his previous injury. Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella told reporters including Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer that Ristolainen’s injury isn’t the issue and that “everything about his game needs to be better” when he gets back into the lineup.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Perreault, Kadri

at CDT | by 10 Comments

The San Jose Sharks appear to be headed for a rebuild, after trading away franchise icon Brent Burns this summer, or at least a retool around some of their younger options. What that meant for Erik Karlsson, the 32-year-old defenseman with a long injury history and an $11.5MM cap hit wasn’t clear, until he spoke with Corey Masisak of The Athletic.

Karlsson was very clear that he won’t be seeking a trade out of San Jose explaining that he “committed” to the organization a long time ago. He has had some preliminary talks with Grier about the direction of the team but isn’t looking to abandon ship. Of course, while his no-movement clause allows him to decide things like that, it isn’t necessarily up to Karlsson in this case. There aren’t many teams who would be able to afford his deal even if San Jose retained part of it, especially because it still has five years left on it.

  • Mathieu Perreault has retired and joined TVA Sports, according to a release they issued yesterday. While he hasn’t announced it personally, last season did seem like a farewell for the 34-year-old, who played 25 games for the Montreal Canadiens an experience that he called a “childhood dream.” Selected in the sixth round of the 2006 draft, Perreault managed to work his way through the minor leagues and put together an NHL career that spanned more than 700 games. His best season came in 2016-17 with the Winnipeg Jets, when he finished with 45 points (in just 65 games).
  • Now that Nazem Kadri has signed a lucrative, long-term deal, he’s decided to give back to the place that raised him. The veteran forward has made a $1MM donation to the London Health Sciences Centre, establishing the Nazem Kadri Surgical Centre. Kadri signed a seven-year, $49MM contract with the Calgary Flames last month.

Latest On Timo Meier

at CDT | by 12 Comments

There are few players as important to the San Jose Sharks as Timo Meier. The Swiss forward led the Sharks in scoring last year, setting career highs in goals (35), assists (41), and points (76). He’s a spectacular scoring winger without many weak spots in his game, and he would be expected to lead the Sharks into their next period of contention alongside Tomas Hertl.

But speaking today at the NHL’s European Player Media Tour, Meier said he’s had no discussions yet on a contract extension with the Sharks, aside from an introductory phone call with new general manager Mike Grier on July 5. Meier is entering the final season of a four-year, $24MM contract signed in 2019.

He will again be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer, meaning he’s due a qualifying offer. Meier’s actual salary in 2022-23 is $10MM, which should raise some eyebrows about the value of that qualifying offer, and rightfully so. But a change to the qualifying offer rules in the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement extension means that Meier can’t receive a qualifying offer greater than 120% of his previous deal’s cap hit, meaning he’s only owned a one-year, $7.2MM deal as compared to a one-year, $10MM deal from the Sharks.

Financially, for Meier, this is the most important season of his NHL career. At 26 years old next summer, he’ll undoubtedly sign a long-term deal that should take him well into his 30s, whether it’s with the Sharks or someone else. If his production takes a step back next season, though, the Sharks may very well want to settle for a one-year contract awarded through arbitration.

The Sharks, in any event, will likely need to make a cap-clearing move next summer as they turn the corner back toward competitiveness. The anchor contracts of Logan Couture ($8MM), Erik Karlsson ($11.5MM), and Marc-Edouard Vlasic ($7MM) don’t expire until 2026 and 2027, so relief from those deals won’t come for quite a while.

San Jose Sharks Linked To Spencer Carbery

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The San Jose Sharks are late to the head coaching search party. After firing Bob Boughner and his staff later into the offseason, most marquee coaching options are off the market, leaving the Sharks to get creative with their search. According to San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng, multiple sources confirmed to him that the team has interviewed Spencer Carbery for the open position.

Carbery spent 2021-22 as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was responsible for the team’s power play, which finished first in the league during the regular season. 40 years old, Carbery was named the AHL’s Coach of the Year in 2021, his last of three seasons as the head coach of the Hershey Bears. He also won the same award in the ECHL in 2014 during a five-year run as head coach of the South Carolina Stingrays. You might recognize them for being the team where Stanley Cup Champion coach Jared Bednar got his head coaching start.

Carbery would certainly help San Jose’s goal output if his time in Toronto is any indication. San Jose’s power play clocked in at 19% last season, 22nd in the NHL, while they scored just 211 goals in total, which was third-last. He could be the key to an offensive resurgence from players like Erik Karlsson and help get the most out of youngsters like William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau if they make the team.

Latest On Patrick Kane

at CDT | by 20 Comments

With the Chicago Blackhawks deciding to rebuild halfway through their previous rebuild, speculation has run rampant about all-time great Patrick Kane’s future with the team. If dealt, he’d be one of the best players and biggest names traded in the past few seasons, joining blockbuster deals like the Jack Eichel and Erik Karlsson trades. However, TSN’s Darren Dreger today pumped the brakes on trade rumors, saying that Kane’s camp “remains undecided” and that any rumors at this point are purely speculative.

At 33 years old, Kane still has 100-point potential while logging heavy minutes. He hasn’t hit that mark since posting 110 points in 2018-19, but he’s stayed well above a point-per-game pace since then on a continually struggling Blackhawks squad. One of the most decorated American-born players of all time, his playing ability still remains very close to his prime.

It’s because of that fact that a potential trade seems so realistic to fans around the league. It would’ve seemed a guarantee just a few seasons ago that Kane would remain a Blackhawk for life, but as the team failed to rebuild quickly (or properly in the slightest) and management changed hands drastically, no one would blame him for not wanting to waste the last few seasons of his peak on a sinking ship.

With or without Kane, Chicago figures to be a bottom-five team next year with little doubt. Trading him could, however, end up being the difference between a top-five selection and the 2023 first overall selection, which would land them a potentially generational center in Connor Bedard.

Just one season away from unrestricted free agency, it could make a lot of sense for Chicago to deal him ahead of the season too. While they might not get as high of a return without an extension in place for Kane with his new team, it could open the door for him to return to the team in 2023-24 to potentially usher Bedard into the league if they do land the top pick.

Regardless, Kane’s choice will be an important one to watch as the offseason progresses. He’ll still command a fair bit of salary cap space even if Chicago does retain salary, unless the acquiring team wishes to pay a third team extra assets in order to retain additional salary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Sharks’ Offseason Plans

at CDT | by 10 Comments

The San Jose Sharks announced a pair of extensions today, locking up Alexander Barabanov and Jaycob Megna for the next two years. Those deals were necessary for two players who have found a home in San Jose but certainly not the headline-making news that fans are hoping for, now that the team is going to be under new management.

Long-time general manager Doug Wilson has stepped down, leaving the Sharks with Joe Will as interim manager until a more permanent solution is found. When that new solution is found, however, there will be some huge questions to be answered in terms of the direction of the team. After an almost unprecedented era of regular season success, that saw the Sharks qualify for the postseason in 19 of 21 seasons, they’ve missed the playoffs in each of the last three and now face some difficult decisions.

The biggest among those: what to do with an aging, expensive defense corps?

The Sharks have $26.5MM in cap hits tied up in three defensemen that will all be at least 32 at the end of this month. Erik Karlsson, the youngest of the three, carries an $11.5MM cap hit through 2026-27. Marc-Edouard Vlasic, 35, is signed at a $7MM cap hit through 2025-26. And then there is franchise legend Brent Burns, who despite turning 37 a few months ago, is still carrying an $8MM cap hit through 2024-25.

It is Burns’ future that is perhaps the most intriguing. Karlsson and Vlasic each have full no-movement clauses, blocking any potential trade unless they approve it but Burns will have to submit a new list on July 1, one which would allow the Sharks to trade him to three teams without getting his approval again. While that obviously doesn’t give them much wiggle room, Burns’ front-loaded contract, shorter term, and still strong play have at least sparked some speculation. On today’s 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet explained:

I believe they had some trade talks with a couple of teams on Karlsson this year. However, I don’t think that has gone anywhere, and I’m told it’s not that likely, because it’s just a big contract. Burns has three years left, the contract in terms of actual salary goes down, and he’s still a heck of a player. 

I just think that everybody recognizes here that there is the possibility this might be one of the ways that the Sharks try to break up their logjam, as long as they get what they want. I was told specifically by one of the teams that they are not giving Burns away. That is just not happening. There is a package they want and they are going to demand it. 

Though the contract carries an average annual value of $8MM, Burns is owed just $16.5MM over the last three years of the deal, $3.5MM of which will be due in signing bonuses next season.

Despite his age, Burns has continued to be a huge factor for the Sharks on the ice. He averaged more than 26 minutes a night this season, played in all 82 games, and racked up another 54 points. Though some may think of the veteran defenseman as an offense-only player, he actually logged nearly three minutes a night on the penalty kill this year, while recording a career-high 150 blocked shots. That level of play is obviously still valuable, but there is so much risk in having nearly a third of the salary cap tied up in those three aging defensemen.

One can see exactly why by dissecting the play of Vlasic, who has taken several steps back in recent years. Once one of the most feared shutdown defenders in the entire league, his playing time was slashed dramatically this season, to the point where he was averaging just over 15 minutes a night when he was in the lineup. A buyout is one way out for the Sharks but if they went that direction this offseason, they’d be carrying a substantial cap hit through 2029-30. Friedman and co-host Jeff Marek both agree that while a buyout did seem like a possibility, Will spoke as though Vlasic would be coming back at the team’s end-of-year media availability.

An interesting wrinkle in all of this is the situation surrounding Mario Ferraro, arguably the team’s most valuable defenseman behind Burns. The 23-year-old is a restricted free agent this offseason and could be in line for a hefty raise, if the team wanted to sign him long-term. As it stands that doesn’t really even seem possible with so much money tied up elsewhere, meaning the team could have to go short-term and try again later; Ferraro does not have arbitration rights this offseason and would theoretically have to sign his qualifying offer if the team wanted to squeeze him (or an offer sheet elsewhere).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Scheifele, Sharks, Kuzmenko

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Despite some ominous comments earlier in the week, it turns out that Winnipeg Jets star Mark Scheifele did not request a trade in his exit interview with GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Schiefele had expressed concern over the direction of the team after the Jets missed the playoffs this season, which raised some eyebrows in the media and across the league. Scheifele is signed through the next two seasons, so if he was unhappy enough with the situation, he would have had to request a trade, which likely would have occurred during his exit interview this week. Instead, the situation remains status quo in Winnipeg, at least for now. If the Jets, who have a lot of money tied up in long-term contracts, cannot find a way to improve the roster within their salary cap restrictions early this offseason, Scheifele’s position could change. The 29-year-old center has the ability and the contract to draw immense interest if he does hit the trade block this summer.

  • Friedman notes that another team who could be in the star trading business this offseason are the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks reportedly held preliminary trade discussions with multiple teams this season regarding Erik Karlsson, and those talks could continue over the summer. The Sharks need to first name a new general manager, for which a search is ongoing, but the expectation is that whoever the team hires will be directed to retool rather than rebuild. In order to get more competitive sooner rather than later, the Sharks need to add more high-end depth to their lineup and need more cap space to do so. Moving all or even part of Karlsson’s five remaining years at $11.5MM would help immensely and the trade return wouldn’t hurt either. However, is it realistic to expect the Sharks to find a team both willing and able to add Karlsson? Friedman suggests that Brent Burns, who has three years remaining at $8MM, might be easier to move and would still accomplish the task of redistributing a mass amount of cap space from the right side of the blue line to be used elsewhere in the lineup. The Sharks are also expected to evaluate their options with Marc-Edouard Vlasic this offseason, whose remaining four years at $7MM could prove impossible to move but could be bought out instead.
  • While the Jets and the Sharks will be looking for outside-the-box ways to improve this summer, neither team appears to be in the race for KHL free agent Andrei Kuzmenko. Friedman lists the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, and Vegas Golden Knights as the finalists for the Russian winger’s services. Kuzmenko, 26, initially drew interest from at least 20 NHL teams, but now that his KHL contract has expired as of May 1 and he has begun actual negotiations, the list has been trimmed considerably. Kuzmenko is coming off of a career year in the KHL, recording 20 goals and 53 points in 45 games for SKA St. Petersburg, plus another 14 points in 16 playoff games. While he would be brand new to the NHL and his international experience is somewhat limited as well, Kuzmenko could be an affordable impact forward right away next season.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top