Norris Trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks has been floated in trade rumors for the majority of the offseason, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes being thought of at the favorites to land the defenseman, and Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang have reportedly endorsed the idea of acquiring Karlsson, according to Kayla Douglas of theScore.

Erik Karlsson is entering his 15th season in the NHL, and would like to get moved to a contender. He has been given permission to speak directly with both the Hurricanes and Penguins. Pittsburgh president Kyle Dubas spoke about the idea of acquiring Karlsson on July 1, and pretty much confirmed his interest in him.

“When there's a player like that who becomes available, especially with a core group (like this), I think it's incumbent on me to reach out and see if there's a fit for us,” Kyle Dubas said, according to Douglas. “That's the way I viewed that entire situation.”

The Penguins' core that is built with Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang as the centerpieces is getting up there in age. The Penguins missed the playoffs last season, but with the age of their players, they are still a team that hopes to contend next season.

It will be interesting to see if the Penguins can make a good enough offer to land Karlsson. They could use all of the help they can get, as they are in the same division at strong teams like the Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and New York Islanders.