In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there is a lot of chatter coming out of the Erik Karlsson trade. That chatter has to do with what did and didn’t go down for a few NHL teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, and the San Jose Sharks. Could the Oilers and Maple Leafs have done the trade last season? Will the Canadiens trade a goaltender now? Did the Sharks ultimately get what they wanted out of the deal?
Penguins Were Willing to Take on More Money
Elliotte Friedman was asked about the desire of the Penguins to get this deal done, and he noted that the Penguins wanted Karlsson badly. In fact, he noted that Kyle Dubas looked at Karlsson back when he was the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and just couldn’t make the deal work at that time.
The Penguins now essentially have Pittsburgh’s version of the core four with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Karlsson. “I think this was a player that Dubas coveted.” He added that he believes Dubas was in a position where he was willing to take more money in the deal than any other team, including the Carolina Hurricanes, who liked Karlsson, but wanted to take on about $2-$3 million less over the term of the contract than the Penguins.
Sharks Asked Oilers for a Lot More Than What They Took
From the perspective of the Shaks, they received a modest package compared to their initial Karlsson trade demands. Acquiring Mike Hoffman, Mikael Granlund, Jan Ruta, and a 2024 first-round pick, their return isn’t unfavorable. Amid their rebuilding phase, leveraging this haul for future gains could eventually solidify them as trade victors.
Simultaneously, a glance at the earlier expectations, particularly from teams like the Edmonton Oilers during the initial Karlsson speculation, underscores the shifting dynamics of the market.
Friedman noted, “If you go back to a few months ago when they were talking to Edmonton about a Karlsson deal, they were asking for a lot more. They were asking for example, for multiple first-round picks.” He added, “I think is, sometimes you ask, and then the reality sets in about what you can do and I don’t think the San Jose was going to be able to get that kind of return for Karlsson.”
The Sharks Wanted the Cap Space
The big win here for the Sharks is the cap space they ultimately get. With Karlsson off of the books, they take on a little money this season, but Granlund and Hoffman both have shorter terms on their deals and when that money comes off the books, the Sharks will have a lot of room to make moves.
The Canadiens Could Trade a Goaltender Now
When asked why the Canadiens were open to being the third wheel, it was said that moving their players without retaining any salary was a big motivator in the trade. They picked up some solid pieces and there is talk they aren’t done making moves.
Not only is there chatter they could flip Jeff Petry, but Mylene Richard from TVA SPORTS highlighted the Canadiens’ addition of Casey DeSmith from the Penguins, resulting in a roster of four goaltenders on one-way NHL contracts for the upcoming 2023-24 season. The existing trio consists of Samuel Montembeault, Jake Allen, and Cayden Primeau.
Patrick Lalime, an analyst at TVA Sports, speculates that the Canadiens might explore trading one of these goaltenders, specifically hinting at the possibility of either Allen or DeSmith being placed on the trade market. Eric Engels from Sportsnet proposed that Allen might be the one to be traded if Primeau surpasses him in training camp. He also raised the idea that the Canadiens could potentially begin the season with a trio of goaltenders.
