Yohe also reported that an Eastern Conference executive said Karlsson "is out on there" on the trade market, but the Penguins would need to retain salary in order to move him.

When the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Erik Karlsson ahead of the 2023-24 season, it seemed like he would be a key piece of an organization looking for one more Stanley Cup run as multiple franchise players near retirement.

With the NHL trade deadline a mere 10 days away, Kyle Dubas has plenty of decisions to make. How many players will he sell? At what price? Should he ask players to waive their no-movement clauses? What on earth does he do with Tristan Jarry?

Karlsson, 34, carries a $10 million cap hit for two more seasons after this one, with the San Jose Sharks already retaining $1.5 million of his total $11.5 million salary. He's in the sixth season of the eight-year, $92 million contract he signed in 2019.

Erik Karlsson can be a brilliant hockey player capable of things that rival current superstar defensemen Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. Lest you forgot just what Karlsson’s best looks like, his play at the Four Nations Face-Off tournament was as impressive as it was crystallizing.

If the Penguins decide to move on from Erik Karlsson, here are two teams that could come in for him at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

Copyright © 2025 Bleacher Report, Inc. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved.