Sharks Say Erik Karlsson Is For Sale
Erik Karlsson is so back. The league’s highest-paid defensemen is finally playing like that in the early goings of the 2022-23 season. Through 17 games, Karlsson has 22 points across 25:30 minutes of ice time. With comeback szn on, the Sharks are gladly putting the for sale sign on their defensemen.
Check out what general manager Mike Grier had to say about Karlsson:
“I’ll listen, but at the end of the day, too, a lot will depend on Erik, too,” Grier said Tuesday, per NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika. “He’s got the trade protection and (has control over) what he wants to do. I know right now he’s happy. He’s happy in San Jose. His family’s happy there. And we’re thrilled with how he’s playing.”
“He’s a dynamic player,” said Grier, who joined the team in July. “To me, he’s probably one of the three best offensive defensemen in the league, and he’s been great for us. He’s done everything we’ve asked as far as preparation, practicing, playing. He’s been great.
“So, maybe there’s a scenario where a team comes asking for him (in a trade) because I do think he’s a difference-maker. He’s someone who can go out there and win you a game – or win you a series, for that matter – so maybe something will come up down the road. We’ll see.”
The Sharks are really bad and dealing Karlsson would surely help their chances of landing Connor Bedard. San Jose is in total rebuild mode (5-9-3 heading into tonight) so it makes all the sense in the world to trade Karlsson. A trade to Florida would make total sense in my mind. Come the trade deadline if Karlsson keeps playing like this, I highly doubt he finishes the year with the Sharks. It’s going to be a bidding war because Grier is right. The guy we’re seeing right now is a total game-changer.
