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As the NHL offseason rolls on, the Carolina Hurricanes still have a few questions to answer. The biggest internal question regards a couple of their defenseman. Both Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce are entering a contract year. It's hard imagining the Hurricanes letting both of them run down the remaining year on their contracts.
It's not out of the question that one of those two move this summer. And that situation serves as a nice segway into the topic of discussion today. The biggest question, internal or external, is whether or not the Carolina Hurricanes can acquire Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks.
Carolina is not the only team looking to swing a deal. The Pittsburgh Penguins also have the 2023 Norris Trophy winner on their radar. And given Karlsson's contract, this is a very complicated trade to pull off.
Let's say this trade happens this summer, and there are no obstacles in our way. What could the Hurricanes offer the Sharks for the future Hall of Fame blueliner? Here is one perfect Erik Karlsson trade offer the Carolina Hurricanes must offer the San Jose Sharks.
Erik Karlsson trade offer
In this scenario, Carolina acquires Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks, with 40% of his salary retained by San Jose. In return, the Sharks acquire forward Jack Drury, forward Jackson Blake, defenseman Brett Pesce, a 2024 first-round pick, and a conditional 2025 second-round pick.
The condition on the second-round pick is as follows: if Karlsson plays at least 65 games in both 2023-24 and 2024-25, the pick becomes a first-rounder. If he plays fewer than 65 games in either season, the pick remains a second-round selection.
For the Hurricanes
For the Hurricanes, this is certainly a hefty price to pay. Carolina would prefer to keep Pesce if at all possible. Jackson Blake is one of the team's top-five prospects. And potentially parting with two consecutive first-round picks is tough to swallow.
However, this is probably the best-case scenario for them. Defensemen with the ability to score 100+ points in a season do not grow on trees. In fact, Karlsson is one of just six blueliners in NHL history to achieve that feat.
Drury requested a trade away from the Hurricanes last summer. Carolina has a few players who could fill in the fourth-line center role the 23-year-old Drury currently holds down. There is some upside here, so losing him certainly hurts, but the potential reward here is worth it.
Pesce is a right-shot defenseman, like Karlsson. Brent Burns could potentially head back to San Jose, but given his impact on the Hurricanes this past season, that's hard to imagine. Moving Pesce may simply be a casualty Carolina has to live with.
Giving up a highly thought-of prospect like Blake and potentially two first-round picks certainly hurts. However, if Karlsson comes in, stays healthy, and produces like he did this season, it's more than worth it.
For the Sharks
For San Jose, there is a lot to like here. Drury could play a bigger role on the Sharks, and he's only 23. Perhaps he develops into a useful piece for the future. It's a bit similar to the Filip Zadina signing they made, though not entirely a one-to-one comparison.
Jackson Blake is an interesting prospect in his own right. He's only 19, so he may take a bit longer to develop. San Jose can live with that given the current state of their rebuild. Blake is seen as a hard-working playmaker who plays with energy and skill. Certainly not a bad player to have in your pipeline.
Pesce provides San Jose with some options. The Sharks could let him play out the final year of his contract. If he plays well, he is a perfect trade deadline candidate. If not, he walks, and that's the end of that.
San Jose could also try convincing him to stick around for an extra year or two. This does two things for them. First, it gives them an NHL-caliber player to eat minutes while younger players develop. Second, it increases Pesce's value, as he would no longer be a rental.
And, of course, the picks are more assets in the cabinet for the rebuild. The Sharks cash in on Karlsson's wild resurgence, and could cash in further if he continues to be the guy in Carolina.
Next summer, the NHL's salary cap is expected to increase by at least a few million. That might be the best time to pull the trigger on an Erik Karlsson trade. In a flat-cap summer, however, the Sharks can certainly live with an offer like this.
