Canadian Team Linked to Erik Karlsson Following Report From Elliotte Friedman

There have been trade whispers regarding Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, and there just may be one ideal trade candidate who comes in conjunction familiar to his fans.

While Erik Karlsson has not donned an Ottawa Senators jersey since 2018, there will inevitably be passion regarding Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs fans, sooner or later, if he ends up in Ontario and becomes part of the infamous 'Battle of Ontario.'

As you may have guessed, no, it is not the Senators, but rather the Toronto Maple Leafs who are linked at this juncture to Erik Karlsson.

Things have really heated up now that NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said that once Karlsson's bonus is paid, teams are on the hook for less money owed to him.

Karlsson, who's 34, signed a front-loading, eight-year, $92 million deal that began when he donned a San Jose uniform, which had a current cap hit of $10 million after San Jose retained a little over 13% in a trade to Pittsburgh.

Last season, Karlsson had 11 goals and 42 assists in 82 games. There's cap space underneath, but Pittsburgh will not be able to trade away Karlsson unless they can retain salary, and there's just $4.9 million available, PuckPedia reports.

Aside from Toronto, there are also strong hints that the Detroit Red Wings are in the picture. As per one league source, 'RG' also knows that the Anaheim Ducks, Utah Mammoth, and Dallas Stars are in consideration.

Karlsson played 1,084 regular-season NHL games, scoring 200 goals and 670 assists, and 53 points in 67 playoff games. Overall, all-time, he ranked 15th in points by a defenseman, and second among active defensemen.

A three-time Norris Trophy winner, Karlsson's career year was in 2022-23 when he recorded 101 points for the Sharks.