NHL rumors are flying all over the place at this time of year, but the biggest name on the trade market remains in Ottawa in defenseman Erik Karlsson.
Update, 3:04 p.m. ET: The Vegas Golden Knights went after Karlsson hard, but ultimately, couldn’t get the deal done before the clock ran out:
VGK was the team in the hardest on Erik Karlsson in the final hour but did not get a deal done with OTT.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 26, 2018
Update, 2:25 p.m. ET: Per Bob McKenzie, Ottawa is continuing to talk trades for Karlsson ahead of Monday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline:
Erik Karlsson trade talks continuing in OTT.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 26, 2018
The Ottawa Senators seem set on trading captain Erik Karlsson at some point over the next few months. For whatever reason, Ottawa appears ready to move on from one of the premier talents in the game.
Maybe it’s because the Senators aren’t willing to pay Karlsson a massive extension that he will surely get one way or another. For his part, Karlsson isn’t remotely hiding the fact that he wants to be paid the big bucks. This is from the Ottawa Sun in December:
"“When I go to market, I’m going to get what I’m worth, and it’s going to be no less, no matter where I’m going. That’s the business part of it. That’s the way every player has been treated ever since this league has started, and I think the players have been a little bit on the other side of things when it comes to negotiations. I think it’s time to realize that when we go to the table, it’s business on both parts, not just (owners).”"
The biggest question that seems to remain is whether Karlsson goes before the trade deadline or if this deal gets pushed to the offseason.
It’s going to be a complex trade because of how much money Karlsson makes and the reported insistence from Ottawa that winger Bobby Ryan goes out the door with him. That’s a ton of money to be moved this late in the season, and this move will almost certainly require a third team to make things work.
While basically every single team would love to add a talent like Karlsson, there do seem to be a few at the forefront to this point.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a popular team coming up over and over for Karlsson. General Manager Steve Yzerman has built a very solid team from top to bottom. If Tampa Bay is trying to get over the hump and beat Pittsburgh to get out of the East, a one-two punch of Victor Hedman and Karlsson on the back end could be lethal.
Teams such as the San Jose Sharks and the Florida Panthers have also been thrown around by some hockey writers, but those teams seem like long shots at this stage.
A wild card team that could want in is the Las Vegas Golden Knights. They have plenty of picks and lack a true franchise cornerstone player, with apologies to goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Golden Knights also have over $7 million in cap space, according to capfriendly.com. The Knights are enjoying arguably the best expansion season in sports history and could give Karlsson the massive extension he desires to make this a long-term addition.
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As much as the Senators and Karlsson seem destined for a divorce, Ottawa is likely smarter to wait until the offseason to make this trade. They could see more teams involved and really escalate a bidding war. That also doesn’t mean the Senators won’t make a rash or poor decision; otherwise, Karlsson wouldn’t be on the trade block at all.