Erik Karlsson Trade Fate Officially Revealed After Latest Insider Report

Ever since he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins by the San Jose Sharks, everyone can agree Erik Karlsson hasn't been able to perform at the best of his abilities, offering somewhat inconsistent contributions to his team over the past two years.

Despite tallying 40 points in 60 games so far this season, he has big defensive issues that are hurting his team.

However, it truly looked like the best version of himself re-emerged with Team Sweden during the 4 Nations Face-Off.

He looked great on both sides of the ice, almost like a "vintage" Karlsson.

This could be the perfect timing for the Pens' President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas to trade him.

Josh Yohe wrote in a recent article for The Athletic that a team source told him Dubas would trade Karlsson "in a heartbeat" if he could.

He also added that Karlsson is available, but the Penguins would need to retain salary in order to make a deal happen, among other challenges.

In his own words:

He also raised interesting points when he talked about Karlsson's no-trade clause, as well as the fact that the Penguins only have one salary retention slot remaining until July 1st.

Finally, he spoke about how the team would also need to find another organization interested in acquiring him.

The San Jose Sharks will pay $1.5 million of his cap hit until the end of the 2026-27, when his contract expires. That leaves $10 million on the Penguins' cap for two more seasons, a substantial sum for all NHL teams scuffed by the salary cap.

You can read Josh Yohe's full article here.

In the end, Dubas will need to use that salary retention slot available if he wants to trade Karlsson. With another slot set to become available on July 1st, it could be an interesting idea to make a deal soon.