Report: Stars GM Shuts Down Trade Idea For $92 Million Player

Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill wasted no time dismissing speculation about acquiring Erik Karlsson from the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the NHL trade deadline.

Despite reports that Pittsburgh would move Karlsson "in a heartbeat" if they could, his $10 million cap hit and full no-move clause make a deal difficult.

When Stars insider Sean Shapiro asked Nill about the possibility, he scoffed at the idea, making it clear Dallas has no interest and asked Shapiro to show him where he can afford Karlsson without giving up some of their young talent in the NHL right now.

Even though Karlsson is on a seven-game point streak and had a strong showing at the 4 Nations Face-Off, his fit in Dallas—both financially and structurally—just doesn’t add up.

The Stars are not going to be trading for Erik Karlsson. Jim Nill kind of scoffed at that and asked me to show him where he can afford $11.5 million in cap space for 3 seasons without having to lose some of the younger players getting raises during that time.
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) February 25, 2025

Elliotte Friedman theorized on 32 Thoughts that Karlsson could thrive in Dallas, but he acknowledged the financial reality. “It’s a big cap hit,” Friedman said. “Remember, his cash really goes down this summer, especially after his bonus is paid. Now, maybe whoever goes and gets him waits until after that.”

He also pointed out that Karlsson played under Stars coach Peter DeBoer in San Jose, but their time together wasn’t always smooth.

One Eastern Conference GM told The Athletic’s Josh Yohe that Karlsson is more likely to be moved in the offseason when teams have more cap flexibility, making a deadline deal unlikely.

It was interesting to hear @FriedgeHNIC mention Erik Karlsson's name in connection with the Dallas Stars. If I remember correctly, he turned down a trade to Dallas in the summer of 2018.
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) February 25, 2025