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The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to trade Erik Karlsson during the 2025 NHL offseason. Karlsson joined the team in the summer of 2023 through a trade with the San Jose Sharks. He was meant to be the final piece of a Stanley Cup puzzle. However, this has not worked out, as Pittsburgh hasn't even made the postseason with the future Hall of Fame defenseman.
Karlsson came to Pittsburgh coming off a 100-point season. He was not going to replicate this with the Penguins, and they knew it. Still, he has shown the ability to contribute offense from the point. Karlsson has scored 50+ points in both of his seasons in Pittsburgh.
Unfortunately, patience with Karlsson has run thin at times during the 2024-25 campaign. His defense is especially a point of conflict. Karlsson is one of the best offensive defensemen of his generation. However, he has some truly awful defensive lapses in his game.
Any team acquiring Karlsson is going to need to pair him with a strong defensive presence. Moreover, they may need the Penguins to retain a significant amount of his $10 million salary. Still, there is value in Karlsson's game. And with this in mind, here are the two best landing spots for the Penguins defenseman this offseason.
2. Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes traded for Mikko Rantanen in January to try to give them a superstar presence in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Carolina has lacked a truly elite offensive presence for some time. And this has shown in the postseason when the goals start to dry up.
Karlsson's best days are certainly behind him. However, he would have a much better supporting cast with the Hurricanes than he has with the Penguins. Carolina could give him the space needed to generate offense. Moreover, there may be no better defensive presence to pair him with than Jaccob Slavin.
The Hurricanes have the cap space to add Karlsson this summer. It's hard to imagine Carolina taking the entire $10 million on. In saying this, they have reason to add a talent like Karlsson. Brent Burns is a free agent this summer. As a result, they need a right-shot defender with an offensive presence from the blueline.
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It comes down to whether they are able to make a deal work with the Penguins. Adding Karlsson could go a long way toward a potential Stanley Cup run in 2026.
1. Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are your two-time defending champions after defeating the Edmonton Oilers. Much like last season, Florida could experience some roster turnover this summer. Relevant to the Karlsson sweepstakes is the pending free agency of Aaron Ekblad.
Ekblad is set to hit NHL Free Agency when the market opens next week. The veteran defenseman is coming off his best career season and will be in demand if he goes to market. As a result, the Panthers may need to add a right-shot defender of their own.
Karlsson should have the space needed to create offense in Ekblad's stead. The Penguins defender could rack up the assists playing behind a forward group consisting of names such as Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Sam Reinhart.
The Panthers will need the Penguins to eat some of his salary. But if they can't bring Ekblad into the fold, Karlsson makes sense as a replacement. Gustav Forsling is right there with Slavin among the best defensive defensemen in the NHL. And this pairing would be more than capable of leading Florida's charge for a three-peat next season.
