Report: Frontrunner Emerging For Erik Karlsson With 'Ton Of Interest'

With word that the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to move on from their veterans this season in order to bring in young talent, Erik Karlsson's name has been one of the more notable candidates to be moved. He's a pending UFA, and among the teams we suggested earlier this week as potential landing spots, one of them seems to be the team to keep an eye on, according to insider Pierre LeBrun. 

On Early Trading on TSN on Thursday, LeBrun noted the Stanley Cup champs have 'a ton of interest' in Karlsson—and this wouldn't be the first time. 

He's a pending UFA on a team that's pretty much headed nowhere. The Penguins are gonna be sellers... My understanding is that (Karlsson's) camp with convene with GM Kyle Dubas in the new year to figure out a pathway to where this is headed. But one team to keep an eye on is the Carolina Hurricanes. They were the runners up for Karlsson back in the summer of 2023 when it was between Carolina and Pittsburgh to get him from San Jose. Carolina had a ton of interest in him. I'm told they still do.

LeBrun goes on to note that the Canes tried to sign another Carlson (different spelling) in John Carlson this past offseason, and he likens Erik Karlsson as a similar type of offensive defenseman. 

"But it tells you about maybe the one need that the Stanley Cup champions feel that maybe they still have," LeBrun suggested. "I expect the Hurricanes to be bidders if the Penguins open up the Karlsson trade talks."

Karlsson, after a resurgent season last year in Pittsburgh, is off to another great start, even in his age-36 season. He leads the Pens in scoring with 19 points in 19 games, while still logging an average of 23:38 of ice time per game on the blueline. 

Last season, EK65 registered 66 points with a +8 rating.  He has won three Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenseman over his 18-year career. He has 955 points in 1,178 games. One thing he doesn't have is a Stanley Cup. Perhaps a trade to Carolina will give him a real shot at it. He does own a full no-move clause, but as LeBrun noted, he will sit down with the Penguins this season to figure out where to go from here.