Changes could be coming soon for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Six weeks into the regular season, they are floundering near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Most of their stars are aging, while many of their promising young players are still learning the ropes.
On Nov. 6, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas could become a seller in the trade market. He believed some moves could happen “pretty quickly,” depending on the no-trade protection of some of the players and what type of return he can get for them.
Erik Karlsson could be among the players that Dubas is willing to move. He’s in the final season of an eight-year contract, with the Penguins carrying $10 million of his $11.5 million cap hit. Karlsson also has a full no-movement clause, but he might accept a trade to a contender this season as a rental player.
Karlsson has frequently appeared on our NHL trade boards. A skilled puck-moving defenseman, he’s the only active three-time winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy. As of Nov. 10, the 36-year-old led the Penguins with 18 points in as many games.
Despite his age, cap hit, and no-movement clause, Karlsson could draw interest from teams with Stanley Cup aspirations looking for a mobile right-shot defenseman with offensive skills. Here are five potential landing spots.