Report: Sharks Want THREE 1st-Rounders for Karlsson

The San Jose Sharks want what for Erik Karlsson?

“I’m hearing the Sharks want three first-round picks for Karlsson,” Edmonton Oilers color commentator Bob Stauffer said on “Oilers Now”. “And they’ll retain 18 percent.”

Stauffer followed this up by telling Ted Ramey on “The Buildup” today: “I had heard that the Sharks, in a perfect world, want three No. 1’s and didn’t want to retain too much money.”

Even in a not-so-perfect world, Stauffer is bullish on the San Jose Sharks getting significant value for Karlsson: “The minimum they’re going to get is at least a No. 1. They’ll probably get a second No. 1.

“The more they eat, the more they get in terms of retaining salary.”

Three first-rounders seem wild, and checking around, none of my sources have heard this. That doesn’t seem like a serious request if you really want to trade Karlsson. Even getting a single first-rounder seems questionable, unless the Sharks retain a lot more than 18 percent, all things considered.

Yes, Karlsson is enjoying a career season, leading all NHL defensemen with 56 points. The 2023 All-Star is on pace to be the first blueliner to eclipse 100 points since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.

But he’s also 32 and coming off four consecutive disappointing or injury-shortened campaigns. He’s the highest-paid defenseman in the league with an $11.5 million dollar AAV, and has a No-Movement Clause and four years left on his contract after this season.

If the San Jose Sharks retain 18 percent on the two-time Norris Trophy winner contract, that would only lower his AAV to $9.43 million.

Karlsson is a big gamble – that’s putting it mildly – for any franchise, also keeping in mind that the salary cap might only rise by $1 million dollars next year, up to $83.5 million.

There’s no doubt how great Karlsson is right now, but I think league-wide there are a lot of question marks about how great he’ll be in the coming years.