The Sharks have yet to trade Erik Karlsson, but the reigning Norris Trophy winner and his current team are keeping an open dialogue as the process continues.
In a recent interview with Adam Johansson of the Swedish newspaper Expressen, the defenseman said he has spoken with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken and Toronto Maple Leafs, among others, as he looks to play for a contender. Karlsson also told Johansson he doesn't want to stay with San Jose for the duration of his contract, which has four seasons remaining.
"I like San Jose and I like it there, but I've never been able to win before," Karlsson told Johansson. "I want that chance now that I'm at the end of my career. I have been open about that with [Sharks general manager] Mike [Grier] from the first day he started. He hasn't had any problems with it.
"We understand each other, and we will do so regardless of what happens in the future."
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Karlsson said he doesn't have a "chosen destination" when it comes to where he's traded -- he just wants a chance to play for the best team possible. He's due $11.5 million per season over the next four years, making a deal between the Sharks and another team all the more complicated.
"I think San Jose appreciated that I was honest with them, because this is a complicated thing to go through," Karlsson told Johansson. "I make what I make and the salary cap [$83.5 million next season] has barely gone up in three years, so the money is starting to run out a little here and there."
The Penguins are the reported favorite in trade talks, and Karlsson said he has spoken with his former Ottawa Senators teammate and current Pittsburgh assistant GM Jason Spezza, as well as the team's new GM Kyle Dubas, to glean more information about the organization.
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"Me and Spezza have talked a lot, but we have been friends since before. There has been no business there. We also talked when he was in Toronto. It's more on a friendship level, I'd say," Karlsson told Johansson. "I've talked to the people I need to talk to in Pittsburgh, and Dubas is of course one of them.
"It feels like I've tried to get as much information as I can from the teams that are interesting. How they look at me, what they want. I will try to make a decision based on the information I received. I want to make the best decision for me and my family, if this goes all the way."
While his discussions with teams so far have purely been about trade interest, the hardest part of the process is actually getting a deal done. Interested teams likely want the Sharks to eat part of Karlsson's remaining salary, and amid a rebuild, San Jose also has to make sure it completes a trade that makes sense for the team.
Karlsson has a full no-movement clause in his contract, meaning he can reject any trade he doesn't like. That gives him peace of mind, but now it's just a matter of wait and see.
"Yes, it was important when I signed this contract that I get to manage myself -- especially now that I have a family," Karlsson told Johansson. "We have to approve everything and that makes the process a little easier. ...
"How it works, what they are doing now and what will happen -- I have no answer to that. I'll just have to wait and see what happens. I know what I and my family want. Now we just hope we get the chance."
