Can Erik Karlsson fit on the 2019-20 San Jose Sharks roster?
Kevin Kurz of The Athletic: San Jose piecing together a 2019-20 roster with Erik Karlsson and Joe Pavelski will not be easy. This is because of how much Karlsson could potentially be paid. If Gustav Nyquist were to re-sign, then it would be virtually impossible to keep Pavelski. The expectation is that Pavelski could command as much as $7-8 million AAV.
Even trading Justin Braun to sign Tim Heed would not save quite enough dollars to keep everyone else together. If Erik Karlsson signs elsewhere, San Jose is not contending next season. In the meantime, the Sharks must wait on what Karlsson decides.
The pros and cons of an Erik Karlsson redux in Ottawa
Chris Stevenson of The Athletic: An Erik Karlsson return sounds far-fetched at best but some are entertaining the notion. Undoubtedly, there exists pros and cons to the idea. Bringing Karlsson back adds to the viability err competitiveness of Ottawa. However, what could Ottawa offer in compensation? A five year, $50-55 million dollar deal gets them in the conversation but other teams could offer that.
Then, there is Thomas Chabot, who took Erik Karlsson’s role and ran with it. Can you dial him back if Karlsson returns? One year ago, the mistake was not re-signing the defenseman. This year, it would be signing him.
Montreal and Erik Karlsson
Marc Dumont of The Athletic: The Montreal Canadiens entertaining the idea of signing Karlsson could be intriguing but again, what does the team offer? Montreal carries nearly $12 million in cap space and has a league-high 23 players signed. That’s good news. The bad exists in an aging defensive core mixed with a prime offensive core. This increases the urgency to take a shot on a player of Karlsson’s caliber.
A few simple trades make it easier to afford the former Senators’ rearguard. Just the fact that Erik Karlsson is rumored to be considering Montreal is significant. Even if this is just to drive leverage back in his direction, it’s something. Decision time looms soon enough.
