At one point this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins were frustrated with defenseman Erik Karlsson. Pittsburgh was not playing well on the ice and appeared destined for a poor season. And while Karlsson’s offense was solid as always, his defense was extremely brutal, to put it nicely. There were no concrete reports of either side seeking a trade. But the seeds were planted back then.
The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline is now less than two weeks away. The Penguins are likely to sell at the deadline despite being seven points out of the second Wild Card spot. Karlsson’s name hasn’t dominated trade rumors. However, after the Penguins defenseman starred for Team Sweden at the 4 Nations, his trade value has received a boost.
He has started to pop up on a few trade boards. For instance, Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli included him on his recent trade board. Karlsson is the 25th top trade target, according to Seravalli’s rankings.
At this time, it’s rather unlikely Karlsson will find himself on the move before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. His $10 million salary is going to be difficult for many teams to fit into their salary cap structure. However, there is an avenue where the Penguins retain 50% of this cap hit. This could make a trade a whole lot more feasible for any interested clubs.
Karlsson remains a solid offensive presence from the blueline. And there are teams who could use his services before the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With this in mind, here are two potential landing spots for the Penguins star blueliner.
Penguins’ Erik Karlsson could fit with Panthers
The Florida Panthers lost Brandon Montour to the Seattle Kraken over the summer. Montour emerged as an elite offensive defenseman in the NHL after joining Florida. And he capped off his tenure in Sunrise with a Stanley Cup.
Florida could not immediately replace Montour’s offense in free agency. They did not have the salary cap to make this sort of move. Additionally, they did not have the assets necessary to trade for a player who could take on that workload.
As a result, Florida’s offensive output from the point has dropped off. Aaron Ekblad is the leading scorer from the blueline with 26 points. Outside of him, only one other defenseman has 20 points. And none of them have 10 or more goals.
Karlsson is a right-shot defenseman who can log big minutes still. The 34-year-old definitely brings some risk with him, especially given his defensive shortcomings. Still, if the Panthers want to defend their Stanley Cup title, a move for the future Hall of Fame Penguins defenseman makes some sense.
Penguins’ Erik Karlsson could reunite with Senators
The Ottawa Senators had Erik Karlsson to begin his career. He helped Ottawa make the 2017 Eastern Conference Final, bringing them within a game of the Final proper. Unfortunately, they lost that series, ironically, to the Penguins. Shortly thereafter, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks.
The Senators need scoring depth in 2024-25. A scoring winger makes more sense as a true need for this team. However, Ottawa could certainly take a chance on Karlsson returning to his elite form back in the Canadian capital city.
Ottawa has a need for a right-shot defenseman. They would get Karlsson on a reduced cap hit, as well. And he is not a rental option for this team. It will be difficult to make the finances work, without a doubt. But a return to the Senators before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline is a worthwhile move, if the Penguins make him available.
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