Penguins pull unexpected move in Erik Karlsson trade!

The hot topic of the 2023 offseason remains Erik Karlsson and where a trade might send him with the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins linked to the star defenseman. While the latter appear to be the front-runner at the moment, it is believed the San Sharks’ asking price and Karlsson’s hefty contract remain significant issues to get a deal done, and prompted the Penguins to send a message.

According Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Pens have made it clear they are seeking a lower price and are now are sitting back and waiting on the Sharks to drop the price.

Karlsson is under contract for the next four seasons at an $11.5 million cap hit. The deal includes a full no-movement clause and of that big $39.5 million chunk left to be put in his pockets, $13 million has to come in the form of signing bonuses.

Sharks GM Mike Grier also seeks a monster return for his player, but could drop the price as we get closer to training camps and the start of the 2023-24 season.

The Penguins continue waiting out the process as players like Jeff Petry, P.O. Joseph or Ty Smith have been linked to the trade chatter. They want Karlsson, but don’t want to lose too much on this high-risk move. Hence, they are pulling this unexpected one and waiting for the price to drop…

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