Report: Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks re-engage in Erik Karlsson trade talks
By Zach Laing
1 year agoA massive piece of news on this Saturday afternoon as the Edmonton Oilers have reportedly re-engaged in trade talks with the San Jose Sharks for defenceman Erik Karlsson.
This, according to NHL insider Chris Johnston, who noted it’s not the first time these two teams have talked.
The Oilers are clearly looking to add at this deadline and Karlsson almost feels too good to be true. He would be a dynamic addition to the Oilers’ defence and would provide a big help for the team in their transition game. Karlsson is having a career year scoring 17 goals and 70 points in 53 games so far this season. His 53 assists rank second in the league to only Connor McDavid.
While he’s had spurts of strong defensive play in the past, Karlsson, 32, is a true offensive defenceman with tremendous puck-moving abilities. Not only that, but he would be a tremendous player for Evan Bouchard to learn from when it comes to the offensive side of the game.
The biggest issue remains Karlsson’s contract. He has an $11.5-million cap hit, and the Oilers would likely need two teams — the Sharks and another — to retain as much money as possible. If 75% of Karlsson’s deal is retained, his cap hit would fall to $ 2.875 million.
It would likely see the Oilers giving up multiple draft picks and prospects, as well as a few active roster players, to be able to make the money work in the deal.
On Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli talked about what it would take for the Sharks to trade Karlsson:
It’s going to take the San Jose Sharks to retain more, I believe, than just the 18 to 20 percent that they currently have on the table. Either that, or their ask is going to have to change in a pretty drastic way because what we know when the ask is when they retain 18 or 20 percent was three first-round picks or pick equivalents in exchange for Karlson. I know that he’s been at an incredibly elite level this season with 70 points, and is second in the league in assists, tied with Connor McDavid.But with that contract as the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL, with the term remaining, four years left on his deal, I think the sharks are going to, instead of 18 to 20 percent, which would knock him down to the $9 million, $9.5 million range, I think they need to get in the $7 million range in order to be able to command a significant return of assets.And I think what you would get, if you were to dip even further – if you’re the Sharks, what’s really the difference between retaining $2 million or $4 million or $5 million on Carlson’s contract? You’re rebuilding, so you shouldn’t be near the cap. I think the opportunity should be on the table for the sharks to retain as much as 50 percent to really make the asset return worth their while because as currently constituted, that wasn’t moving the needle for teams.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.
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