The Pittsburgh Penguins are likely to be entering a rebuild and could look to trade some key players off their roster.
One player whose name has come up in trade rumors is star defenseman Erik Karlsson. Karlsson is entering the seventh year of an eight-year, $92 million deal with the Penguins. Although his play has declined, he is still a valuable defenseman and should be sought after, especially if Pittsburgh retains money.
Several teams have been linked to Karlsson, but NHL insider Anthony Di Marco of DailyFaceoff named the Ottawa Senators as a surprise team to acquire the Swede.
“I definitely cannot see the Pittsburgh Penguins being able to move Karlsson before the start of the regular season” Di Marco wrote. “At a $10.5 million ticket, GM Kyle Dubas will (in all likelihood) needs to wait for interested teams to accrue cap space to fit Karlsson in later in the season. You also have to think that any team seriously looking at Karlsson will want to see how he performs to start the year.
“Even if Karlsson does perform, I’d imagine Dubas may need to retain on the AAV to bring the former’s cap hit down somewhere in the $8 million range,” Di Marco added. “Completely speculative, but how much fun would a return home to the Ottawa Senators be for the hockey world?”
Karlsson was drafted 15th overall by the Senators in 2008, and he played nine years with the team. He was a fan-favorite, and perhaps a reunion does make sense.
Karlsson wouldn’t have to be the top defenseman in Ottawa, which could help him have more success on the ice.
Karlsson Returning to Ottawa Would be a Homecoming
Although Karlsson is from Sweden, he met his wife in Ottawa, and it would be a chance for them to return to where it all started.
He also fell just short of leading the Senators to a Stanley Cup. So, he could now help them try and get over the hump this time around.
Karlsson was a fan-favorite in Ottawa and still gets cheered when he returns. So, perhaps he would want to come back. However, he did say it was weird to return to Ottawa.
“Going back to Ottawa will be special,” Karlsson said back in 2018. “It’s going to be different and weird. We’ll see what type of emotions there will be when the day comes.”
Karlsson played 627 career games with the Senators.
Penguins Looking to Trade Karlsson
Pittsburgh made a bold move to acquire Karlsson back in 2023, but it hasn’t panned out.
The Penguins are now looking to trade Karlsson, according to NHL insider Nick Kypreos.
“The Penguins are just not a fit for Karlsson anymore. GM Kyle Dubas tries to find younger players and more picks to rebuild the Penguins on the fly while Sidney Crosby is still around,” Kypreos wrote.
Pittsburgh is looking to kickstart a rebuild, and Karlsson won’t be part of it. He also likely would net the Penguins a prospect and some picks to help the rebuild.
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