Erik Karlsson's Penguins Future Suddenly Up In The Air

Erik Karlsson is entering the final year of his contract, and according to fresh reporting from The Athletic's Josh Yohe, Pittsburgh hasn't had a single conversation with him about what comes next.

No Talks Yet, But No Alarm Either

Assistant general manager Jason Spezza addressed the situation after the first day of training camp: "We've communicated with Erik where we're at as a team, and we want to continue to see growth. And I think he wants to see that as well," Spezza said. "So there's been great conversation transparency around his situation. We think a lot of Erik. I think he's enjoyed his time here, and we've enjoyed having him." 

Karlsson himself echoed that sense of patience when asked about his future. "I think that the situation is pretty given on what it is and what it's not," Karlsson said. "I have one year left. Our team is in a weird stage, I think. So we'll see how it goes this year." 

He added that he's not dwelling on it. "I'm enjoying my time right now, you know? I'm 36 years old, feel really good. Got a lot of years left in me. The future is not something that I've really thought about." 

That's a relaxed posture for a player heading into a contract year, but it's similar with how Pittsburgh's front office has framed the situation all along, content to let things play out rather than force a decision early.

The Trade-Deadline Question Still Looms

The bigger question is what happens if this season doesn't unfold the way Pittsburgh hopes. 

Yohe himself suggested back in July that he'd be surprised if the Penguins extend Karlsson at all, floating the idea that his future more realistically involves a midseason trade if Pittsburgh's playoff push fades rather than a new contract. 

Karlsson was one of the biggest reasons the Penguins returned to the postseason last year, delivering 66 points and strong two-way play at age 35 that quieted a lot of the skepticism about his fit in Pittsburgh. 

His name has come up in trade speculation before, with teams like Anaheim, Detroit, Toronto and Utah reportedly checking in at various points last summer, though nothing ever advanced given his no-movement clause and the Penguins' preference to keep him if they're competitive. 

Karlsson currently carries a $10 million cap hit in Pittsburgh, with San Jose retaining a portion of his original salary from the trade that brought him east. 

If the Penguins are in the playoff hunt come deadline day, keeping him through the season looks like the far more likely path. If they're not, his no-movement clause and one-year window make him one of the more significant trade chips available anywhere in the league.