Erik Karlsson has been the best offensive defenseman in the NHL to start the 2022-23 season. However, the Sharks are still a bottom-5 team in the standings.
Karlsson's age doesn't fit in well with a San Jose Sharks who are looking to rebuild following the Post-Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski era. The sharks are currently the seventh youngest team in the NHL, with an average age of 26.62.
At 32-years-old, Karlsson may be in his final years of elite production, and his trade value has never been higher. With 10 goals, 14 assists in 18 games, Karlsson would be a great addition to any team looking to add a valuable veteran asset to their lineup.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, one team has been actively calling the San Jose Sharks to pursue the defenseman.
Article continues below
That team is the Ottawa Senators.
With an $11,500,000 cap hit through 2026-27, it will be extremely difficult for the Senators to sign the prized defenseman, unless the Sharks were to retain salary.
As of right now, the Senators have $3,300,000 in Projected Cap Space, and if they were to take on this monster contract, they will need to move some pieces around.
Before landing with the Sharks in 2018, Karlsson was a Senator for 9 seasons, which is where he became a star and had his best points production.
The Senators started off the season hot, but have since fallen off and currently sit at the bottom of the Atlantic division at 6-9-1. Expectations were high for the team this season, and now would be a great time to shake up their struggling defense in an attempt to save their season.
