Major Twist in Erik Karlsson Trade Talks - Key Factor Could Decide His Future

The Pittsburgh Penguins were perhaps the most fascinating team in the NHL during the most recent summer. They are in a rebuild era, but they still hold several veterans on their roster.

The front office has stated they desire to go younger. The plan has generated months of rumors, with a number of players mentioned as potential pieces to move.

Despite the noise, no major veterans have been moved yet. However, with the new season approaching, a deal could still come to fruition.

The front office continues to look around the league for trade partners, and reports indicate they're listening on several big names.

Pittsburgh is interested in trading star defenseman Erik Karlsson and might not want an enormous return anymore, Josh Yohe, an NHL insider, reports.

He stated there would be considerable interest, especially if Pittsburgh retained some of Karlsson's salary.

Karlsson has been a fixture in trade talks, but is still a player that franchises would look at. He showed last season during the course of it all that he's capable of producing on a high level, scoring 11 goals and adding 42 assists with Pittsburgh.

Even at an older age, he's capable of making an impact on a powerhouse team. The Penguins had a high price tag on Karlsson, and that might have kept things sluggish to this point in trade talks.

This latest report implies they might back down slightly from their asking price to help something get done.

Considering the team's movement towards youth, it becomes more and more likely that Karlsson, and maybe others, will get traded at some point this season.

In the next few weeks, all eyes will turn to Pittsburgh to determine if GM Kyle Dubas makes the move to shake things up with the roster.