The Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken, and Toronto Maple Leafs have spoken to the San Jose Sharks about newly minted three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is talking to a lot of teams about a number of different options, according to LeBrun.
Toronto’s introduction to the fact that Brad Treliving calls about everybody ... https://t.co/UFwsefZyVe
— Wes Gilbertson (@WesGilbertson) June 27, 2023
Sharks general manager Mike Grier didn't mention names, but he confirmed Karlsson's availability is generating some intrigue.
"I've talked to a bunch of teams, and there's some serious interest, and there are some people kind of dipping their toe in the water," he said Tuesday, according to NHL.com.
Karlsson has four years remaining on his current deal with a hefty $11.5-million cap hit. The Sharks will likely have to retain some of his salary in order for a trade to be feasible, but Grier isn't planning on taking on a sizeable sum.
"For people who think we're going to eat 50% of his contract and all this type of stuff, it's probably not going to happen," he said, per team beat writer Curtis Pashelka.
Karlsson won the Norris again Monday night on the heels of a historic 101-point season. The 33-year-old became the oldest defenseman ever to notch 100 points in a campaign, only the sixth blue-liner to ever accomplish the feat, and the first since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.
Reports from earlier in June said the Sharks and Karlsson were on the same page about working out a trade. On Sunday, he confirmed he wants to be moved to a contender.
The Swede had a career year and proved he still has plenty left in the tank after several injury-plagued seasons. His 25 goals and 76 assists were both personal bests in the NHL, and he achieved those marks despite playing for a lackluster Sharks squad that finished with the league's fourth-worst record. He also played 82 games for the first time since 2015-16.
