Sharks reportedly not getting the offers they were hoping for on Karlsson
The San Jose Sharks are continuing to try and move defenceman Erik Karlsson, with a number of teams already expressing interest in the reigning Norris Trophy winner.
Many had expected a deal to be done by now, whether that be to Carolina, Pittsburgh or even Seattle or Toronto, but according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, the Sharks haven't found a team willing to meet the return they want for Karlsson.
He added, "So, I think the hang-up has been a little bit along the same lines that we heard back at the trade deadline, which is, the Sharks are looking for a significant deal and they're not properly valuing the cap space, the freedom, the flexibility from getting off of an $11.5 million player. And that's really what's holding this back."
Karlsson, 33, is coming off one of the best seasons statistically from a defenceman in National Hockey League history, which earned him his third-career Norris Trophy. He played in all 82 of San Jose's games last season and recorded 101 points (25 goals, 76 assists), along with 36 penalty minutes and was a minus-26.
There's no question that the Sharks are going to have to retain salary in any deal involving Erik Karlsson, but at this point, it's just a matter of how much will that be? It could be 20, 25 or even 30%, but it's been reported that Mike Grier does not want to retain 50% of Karlsson's salary, which is definitely understandable. In order to maximize the return they could get, the Sharks may need to get a third team involved to retain upwards of 25%.
Where do you think Erik Karlsson will be playing on opening night of the 2023-24 season? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below!
| POLL | ||
Where do you think Erik Karlsson will be playing on opening night of the 2023-24 season? | ||
| Carolina | 45 | 5.5 % |
| Pittsburgh | 416 | 50.8 % |
| Seattle | 51 | 6.2 % |
| Still in San Jose | 307 | 37.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
