Erik Karlsson: Sidney Crosby and Kristopher Letang want him in Pittsburgh

Erik Karlsson’s days in San Jose are numbered.

All four corners of the league are waiting to see where he will be traded. At the moment, the Penguins and Hurricanes are working hard to conclude a deal with the Sharks.

In Carolina, the addition of Erik Karlsson could help take the team to the next level. The team has been struggling to win its first Stanley Cup since 2006, and has gone far in the playoffs in recent years, but nothing more.

In Pittsburgh, Karlsson would complement the veteran group that includes Sidney Crosby, Kristopher Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Kyle Dubas wants to give them one last chance to lift the precious trophy, and the defenseman would bring some offensive punch to the Pens line-up.

But what do these veterans think of Erik Karlsson? The answer to that question is pretty simple. In fact, both Crosby and Letang have given Dubas their stamp of approval, and Letang even says he’s willing to revisit his role to make room for EK65.

The Quebecer would even like to give him his quarterback spot on the first power-play wave to “make things work”. That says a lot about his desire to see Karlsson end up in Pittsburgh:

The longer this goes on, the more I think the chances of the Swede being traded to the Penguins are good.

After all, Kyle Dubas seems to be working hard right now to complete the trade and he’s being aggressive on the issue. Yes, we’re hearing about the Hurricanes…

But not as much as the Penguins. They are, in my eyes, at the top of the list right now to acquire his services.

It’s particularly complicated in Pittsburgh right now, because the Penguins don’t have much to give the Sharks, and because the team is about $2.3 million over the salary cap.

Need I remind you that Erik Karlsson, well… he’s getting $11.5 M per year until the end of the 2026-2027 season?

Obviously, the Penguins won’t go after him if the Sharks don’t withhold part of his salary. That said…

Dubas has a lot of work to do to find a way to bring EK65 to town. It’s far from impossible, but it’s also far from simple.

Burst

– I’d pay good money to see a Canadiens VS Nordiques game, just like in the old days.

– The list is really interesting.

– Lucky.

– Will he finish the season with the Angels?