REPORT: Teams Want Sharks To Retain More of Karlsson’s Contract?

Is trading Erik Karlsson now a game of chicken?

As in, how much will the San Jose Sharks retain of Erik Karlsson’s contract to move him?

“If the Sharks can get Karlsson to be a four [years] times eight [million] player, everybody here is in business,” Elliotte Friedman said on Tuesday on his “32 Thoughts Podcast”. “When they were talking to Edmonton earlier in the year, they were around 20 [percent retention]. The Sharks will have to move up here.”

Karlsson’s AAV is $11.5 million, so turning him into an $8 million player is 30 percent retention. The San Jose Sharks can retain up to 50 percent, but GM Mike Grier isn’t going there. He said before the Draft: “We’re not just going to, people think we’re gonna eat 50 percent of his contract, it’s probably not going to happen.”

Grier Talks Karlsson Trade, No. 4 Pick, Jumbo’s Future

Complicating matters is the involvement of San Jose Sharks owner Hasso Plattner.

“Now on this one, he’s playing a bit more of a role,” Friedman said. “I think this has been a little bit unusual for the Sharks, in the sense that he’s a bit more involved in this one than he tends to be.”

Of course, it’s Plattner’s money. And it sounds like he’s willing to retain a bit more, with this caveat…

“The more they retain, the better the deal has to be,” Friedman noted.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes are thought to be the frontrunners in the Karlsson derby.

There’s no doubt that Pens de facto GM Kyle Dubas is a Karlsson fan.

“Any time there’s a player of that caliber that becomes available,” Dubas said of Karlsson on Jul. 1, “It’s probably realistic to think that we’ll be involved, see if there’s a way to add him to our group.”

Hurricanes GM Don Waddell hasn’t spoken publicly about his team’s rumored pursuit of Karlsson.

But Dubas has been chasing Karlsson for a while.

“He tried for him in Toronto, Friedman said. “Dubas really likes Karlsson. I think he would like to get Karlsson. I just don’t know if he can pull it off.”