REPORT: Karlsson, Sharks Will ‘Try To Get a Trade Done’

Will Erik Karlsson still be a member of the San Jose Sharks when he wins the Norris Trophy two weeks from now?

That’s an open question, as Pierre LeBrun reported today on TSN that Karlsson and the San Jose Sharks are “on the same page” in terms of seeking a trade this off-season.

“Both sides met last week, Karlsson’s reps from Newport Sports and Sharks management. They came out of that meeting saying, ‘Yes, let’s try to get a trade done,’” LeBrun said. “Erik Karlsson wants to play for a contender and the Sharks are rebuilding and so they really have a unified vision on where this needs to go.”

LeBrun, however, cautioned, “No guarantee this deal gets done.”

Karlsson is coming off a 101-point campaign and is expected to take home his third Norris Trophy on Jun. 26 at the NHL Awards, but the defenseman is also 33, hasn’t been the picture of health and consistency for the last half-decade, and has an $11.5 million dollar cap hit in each of the next four years.

Karlsson also owns a full no-movement clause, so he has the final say where he goes.

Is there a contender out there that wants to make that kind of commitment to the offensive wizard? And how much will the Sharks retain on Karlsson’s remaining contract?

The Sharks do have one salary retainment slot available. They’re retaining on Brent Burns and Timo Meier’s contracts right now, but a team is allowed to retain on up to three contracts.

This has been the plan all along. After the Trade Deadline, Grier was asked why he didn’t retain on Nick Bonino’s contract, in a Deadline swap that saw Bonino go to the Pittsburgh Penguins for essentially just a seventh-round pick: “We’ve used two, so we just wanted to keep one open in case something happens down the road.”

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We’re now down the road, and the Sharks will be able to trade and retain on Karlsson before Jul. 1.

After Jul. 1, when the 2023-24 NHL calendar starts, the San Jose Sharks will have even more flexibility to move Karlsson, because Meier’s contract will be off the books.

Anyway, this will be a very complicated trade, but it sounds like Karlsson and the San Jose Sharks are motivated to make it happen.

“A few teams already kicking tires the last few days,” LeBrun shared.