Editor's Note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
Is trading Erik Karlsson now a game of chicken?
As in, how much of Karlsson's contract will the Sharks retain to move him?
“If the Sharks can get Karlsson to be a four [years] times [$8 million] player, everybody here is in business,” Elliotte Friedman said on Tuesday on his “32 Thoughts Podcast”. “When they were talking to Edmonton earlier in the year, they were around 20 [percent retention]. The Sharks will have to move up here.”
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Karlsson’s AAV is $11.5 million, so turning him into an $8 million player is 30 percent retention. The Sharks can retain up to 50 percent, but general manager Mike Grier isn’t going there.
“People think we’re gonna eat 50 percent of his contract, it’s probably not going to happen," Grier said before the 2023 NHL Draft.
Complicating matters is Sharks owner Hasso Plattner's involvement.
