NHL Rumors: The Erik Karlsson Trade Speculation Continues

Are the Carolina Hurricanes a fit for Erik Karlsson? Are there fits anywhere else?

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson has two years left on his contract at a $10 million contract. He’s been in the rumor mill as the Penguins look to get younger during their retool/semi-rebuild. How much money are the Penguins willing to retain? Who will be interested in adding the 35-year-old defenseman?

B/R Open Ice: Frank Seravalli on the Erik Karlsson trade speculation. The Carolina Hurricanes have the cap room to make a trade, but would they be spending wisely? Are there any other teams that might be fits for the right-handed defenseman?

** NHLRumors.com transcription

“Another interesting name that’s been on the market this summer, which is, Erik Karlsson. Could the Carolina Hurricanes be a fit for Erik Karlsson, given the cap space that we just mentioned (projected $10,644,291), given the prospects that we just mentioned, and how much a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins would desperately need that, need prospects?

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Yeah, I could see that. But I think the big question to answer, if you’re the Carolina Hurricanes would be, let’s say we can get our hands on Eric Karlsson at he’s got two years left on his deal at $10 (million). Let’s say we could get our hands on Erik Karlson at seven and a half, which fits our cap situation and still leaves some flexibility moving forward.

How much better is Erik Karlsson at seven and a half, then Shayne Gostisbehere, running your power play at a number much less than that? And I think that’s the real curious question. Is there, is there a gulf between the two? Probably. But how big is it really, given Carlson’s age and at times, how much it looks like he slowed down?

How much would it help, or how different would it be if Erik Karlsson played on a team other than Pittsburgh? Always another interesting question to ask yourself, and probably one that teams have been asking for a while now, as the Pittsburgh Penguins have signaled to the market that they’re open to moving in.

But outside of Carolina, I think it becomes really difficult to try and squint and see fits for Erik Karlsson moving forward. Probably not the LA Kings. They’ve got Drew Doughty there. They’ve got the next ones in line in Brandt Clarke. Does that really make a lot of sense, even though they got the cap space to do it?

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And Erik Karlsson has signaled that he’d like to play for a contending team. Carolina would fit the mold, but would some of the others? That’s the other part of the equation is, Erik Karlsson has made it very clear, as a guy holding the cards, that he wants to have a chance to win. He hasn’t really gotten super close in his career outside of a deep run with the Ottawa Senators to the Eastern Conference Final.

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Where is the best fit for Erik Karlsson amid the trade rumors?@frank_seravalli says Carolina may make the most sense pic.twitter.com/KXWYP7axKR

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 29, 2025