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Updating the slow burn that is the Erik Karlsson pursuit |
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The slow burn continues in the pursuit for Erik Karlsson. There isn’t a huge development at the moment. Here’s the latest
Yes so my understanding is there's been a number of teams that have spoken to Erik Karlsson directly, Rob Rossi from Pittsburgh was reporting yesterday, that the Penguins, he felt had heard from Karlsson's camps that that is his preferred destination among the available teams. Carolina has been in the mix.
Here's my understanding of the situation and why I'm not still not convinced that as much as Erik Karlsson wants to be traded and the Sharks would like to move him that it will ultimately come to pass and the reason for the sharks are still asking for a haul and with his contract even at 20% retained at 9.3 9.5 million bucks per year. Teams have to carve that out of their cap at this point to make something like that work. That's an exercise in and of itself and when you look at the, then adding on pieces to a player who's approaching his mid-thirties and has significant injury history teams just aren't willing to pay it. So unless the Sharks are willing to come around and take less, and I Believe that's essentially where the Penguins are, it's like hey we don't even have anything to trade you. We have nothing. We have no picks prospects, we have nothing. So if you want to give them to us we'll take them on for 9 and a 1/2 million bucks. Short of that yeah I guess we'll pick up the conversation later and that could be an August it could be whenever and I just have real doubts as to whether that's gonna change and I Know the team does as well.
I’m not as pessimistic as Frank is, here. I do think Erik Karlsson will be moved. He has a full NMC so that nerfs what the return can be. Also, when big name players get traded it is rarely for the amount people speculate. You always here about how this is going to take two first round picks, a top prospect, and legit roster player and it ends up being a late first, a prospect you’ve never heard of and Buzz Flibbet. Alex DeBrincat just went for a conditional first and a fourth-round pick along with a meh roster player and a throw-in prospect. He is a mid-twenties scoring winger.
Part of this process is going to be a newer GM like Mike Grier trying not to look like he got taken advantage of. He probably wants to set the tone with his colleagues that he isn’t a pushover.
The market appears to be two teams. Neither of them are rushing to pay the reported premium. Ultimately, the Sharks aren’t going to get what they are reportedly asking for unless this trade somehow bucks the trend in a serious way.
I still think there’s a really good chance for the Penguins to acquire Erik Karlsson.
Thanks for reading!
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