The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to be on the outside looking in at the Stanley Cup Playoff picture, and speculation is brewing that president and GM Kyle Dubas is open to a fire sale. This could include defenseman Erik Karlsson, who Dubas infamously traded for just months onto the job.
Karlsson, 34, has appeared in 49 games for the Penguins this season, scoring four goals, and 32 points. In his first season in Pittsburgh last year, Karlsson recorded 56 points in 82 games, a steep decrease from the 101 points he put up with the San Jose Sharks a season before.
Karlsson is owed $11.5 million through the 2026-27 season, however with the Sharks retaining salary in the trade, the Penguins carry his $10-million cap hit. The mobile defenseman has a no-movement clause, and does have to approve any deal before March 7. Three teams to consider as potential trade destinations include:
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets are way ahead of schedule, and have the cap space to add Karlsson with ease. However, regardless of the destination, expect to see Dubas have to retain some salary in any deal moving Karlsson from the Penguins. Columbus is pushing for a playoff spot in the East and could see Karlsson as a nice veteran piece for their back end moving forward.
Calgary Flames
The Flames are basically the Blue Jackets of the West, a fringe playoff team with a ton of cap space. Karlsson could give the Flames another puck mover on their blue line, and help bolster their offense. GM Craig Conroy appears willing to re-tool on the fly and if the Penguins retain a substantial amount of Karlsson's salary, it could come down to if Karlsson feels he wants to spend the next few years in Calgary.
Vancouver Canucks
At this point, anything is possible in Vancouver, as GM Patrik Allvin is involved in several trade conversations at the moment. J.T Miller appears all but gone and the team could use another defenseman to their core. While Karlsson isn't the player he used to be, at a discounted rate on his current price, he could become a valuable piece for the Canucks.
Photo credit: Bob Lee, USA Today
