The Impact of the Erik Karlsson Trade

Kyle Dubas has made his first major move as President of Hockey Operations for the Penguins, acquiring defenseman Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks. This was a three-team deal between the Penguins, Sharks, and Canadiens. Here is the complete trade.

Now this is a massive trade, with a lot of moving parts. Major implications not only for this season but for the season going forward. Here is the complete breakdown of the trade.

Impact on the Penguins

Now the team this trade is going to have the most impact on is the Penguins, obviously. When you acquire the reigning Norris Trophy winner, without giving up any major prospects, it’s hard not to win. Last season Erik Karlsson had 102 points, the most by any defenseman since the 1991-92 season. Karlsson will make a major impact on the Penguins’ offense which was a major problem for the Penguins last year. This drastic improvement is worth the 10 million dollar cap hit the Penguins are going to have to take on. The other players in this trade will have little impact on the overall success of the Penguins. They are bottom six forwards and depth pieces.

Now is this trade enough for them to be considered Stanley Cup contenders, no. But it shows that the Penguins are going to try to make one final run with the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. The Penguins aren’t looking for a long-term rebuild at the moment. As long as that core is together and playing at a somewhat high level, They are going to try and compete.

Impact on the Sharks

It was the worst-kept secret in the league that the Sharks were shopping Karlsson. They are currently trying to rebuild the roster and aren’t focusing on competing right now. With that mindset, it would make no sense to keep Karlsson on the roster. Not to mention his trade value was at an all-time high, with the career year he had last season. The time to move him was right now.

However, the package they got for him was a bit underwhelming. The only real value they got was the first-round pick, and being able to clear Karlsson’s contract. And sure having two first rounds will help fill the system with young talent. More cap space allows the Sharks to bring in players they feel will complement their next core of players. Plus having players like Mikael Granlund, Jan Rutta, and Mike Hoffman will have an impact on the NHL roster.

However, this is yet another trade where the Sharks will able to bring in a big-name prospect. This has been a complaint many Sharks fans have had. Sure building up a young core through the draft is one strategy. But with the amount of value Karlsson had, they could’ve gotten at least one of the Penguins’ big-name prospects. Bringing in one of these prospects could’ve been the jump start this rebuild needs and build some hope and enthusiasm in the fan base.

Impact on the Canadiens

The Canadiens’ involvement in this trade was something nobody saw coming. Sure some expect that a Karlsson trade would have to involve a third team. This is due to how big Karlsson’s contract is, but the Canadiens ended up retaining none of Karlsson’s contract. So if that’s the case why did the Canadiens get involved? Well to help make the finance work and move some of their contracts.

The major one is moving the contract of Hoffman. He was nothing on this roster, and moving on from him was the smart hockey move. The only player that could make any impact for the Canadiens would be Nathan Legare. Legare was once considered to be a decent prospect. However, he hasn’t been able to catch on in Pittsburgh. The change of scenery might be just what Legare needs to help him get back on track. Either way, it’s a low-risk high reward to get involved in this trade.

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