The Carolina Hurricanes have found themselves entering the latest edition of NHL Rumours, as they are rumoured to be eyeing a defender from the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the Penguins’ playoff hopes looking bleak, they’re expected to become sellers prior to the trade deadline in March, and the defending Stanley Cup champs are looking to swoop in and reap the benefits.
Carolina Hurricanes Rumoured to be Interested in Penguins Defenceman
Rumour: According to Pierre LeBrun in the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, the Carolina Hurricanes remain very interested in acquiring Erik Karlsson from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
INSIDER TRADING…
– Tanev load management; Leafs look to upgrade
– Wild happy to wait on Hughes
– Michkov speculation fuels outside interest
– Canes have interest in Erik Karlsson
– Ducks, Quenneville talking extension
WATCH: https://t.co/QRHTeoNGKT
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) November 12, 2026
Analysis: As LeBrun mentions, this should not come as much of a surprise, as the Hurricanes were the runners-up to try to acquire his services from San Jose before they dealt him to Pittsburgh. Now, with Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes looking grim, and Karlsson set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, the Hurricanes are expected to take another run at the three-time Norris Trophy winner.
General manager Kyle Dubas is expected to meet with Karlsson and his representatives in the new year to discuss his future with the team. Given the Penguins’ aging group and their chances of making any sort of run for the Stanley Cup in the coming years very slim, all signs point to the Penguins selling off their assets.
Karlsson is a Massive Trade Chip for the Penguins
Given his play, Karlsson is a massive trade chip for the Penguins. At 36 years old, Karlsson is still playing at an elite level. He currently has three goals and 19 points in 19 games for the Penguins this season, following up on a 15-goal, 66-point campaign last season. Karlsson’s ability to continue to produce and quarterback a power play at this age while still remaining relatively healthy over the last four seasons makes him a very intriguing trade piece for the Penguins and an even more intriguing target for the Hurricanes to bolster their lineup to defend the Stanley Cup.
Given his play, the Penguins can certainly sell high on any Karlsson trade, so they should be able to get a massive haul for the elite offensive defenceman.
Mar 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) skates with the puck against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Karlsson’s Contract Creates a Hurdle for the Hurricanes to Jump
Despite the fit, there are still hurdles for the Hurricanes to jump in order to acquire Karlsson from the Penguins. First, he would need to accept a trade to the Hurricanes, as he carries a full no-movement clause with his contract. The second hurdle is cap space. Karlsson currently carries a $10 million cap hit this season, as the Sharks are currently eating $1.5 million. According to Puckpedia.com, the Hurricanes currently have roughly $6.68 million in projected cap space. This would mean that, in order to acquire Karlsson, the Penguins would need to retain some salary, or the Hurricanes would need to move out some salary in any deal.
The Last Word
With all this considered, the Hurricanes seem like a very realistic fit for Karlsson prior to the trade deadline. While there are some hurdles to jump for the Hurricanes, they shouldn’t prove too difficult to get over. You’d have to assume Karlsson would love the shot to try to win his first Stanley Cup. So accepting a trade to the Hurricanes should be pretty easy. Second, the Penguins certainly wouldn’t mind retaining some salary on Karlsson, as it’s just for the remainder of this season. This would also likely get the Hurricanes to add even more to whatever package they would be sending to the Penguins.
Could one of those pieces be disgruntled defenceman Alexander Nikishin? The defenceman had asked for a trade from the Hurricanes prior to signing a one-year, $3 million contract and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. It would make complete sense to move that cap hit out in order to help acquire his replacement in Karlsson and focus on using that money to re-sign Karlsson to an extension. Time will tell whether the Hurricanes can pull off such a move.
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Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images