Erik Karlsson connected to Canadian team in trade

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Liam McCormick
February 22, 2024 (12:52)

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Now 33 years old, Erik Karlsson has had one of the most interesting careers in recent history. After being traded to the Penguins last season, it was thought that Karlsson could be a missing piece to bring the team back to Stanley Cup Contention. Now according to Elliotte Friedman, the Penguins may be ending the Karlsson experiment, and the Ottawa Senators may be interested in bringing him back.

With Daniel Alfredsson returning as assistant coach, Karlsson has a close friend and countryman within the organization. Additionally, Friedman heard that the Senators organization would like to bring him back already, and Pittsburgh has recently made it known they're looking to get younger.

It would be a monstrous move, and could end up being very disappointing if the Senators aren't able to compete for the playoffs in the coming years. On the Senators end, it could be a massive mistake to try to pursue a reunion with Karlsson purely for nostalgic reasons. With his cap hit and age, a real plan to take advatange of his abilities would need to be in place for Ottawa.

Although the Penguins haven't met expectations this year, Karlsson has still been an incredible player for the team. In 53 games, Karlsson has 7 goals and 39 points - it's off his incredible 100 point year last season, but he's still an elite player. For this season and the next three years, until Karlsson is 37, he's owed $10M annually on his contract, and that will be another huge obstacle to any team trying to trade for Karlsson.