Daily Faceoff’s Tyler Kuehl offers an update on Erik Karlsson trade rumors via a “plug” for Daily Faceoff’s daily podcast:
On Wednesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Matt Larkin explain why the Penguins have the chance to be making some moves before autumn.
Matt Larkin: They have chips that I think a lot of teams could use. It’s been the narrative this offseason – they’re the one team that is truly committed to rebuilding and tanking because, of course, the gods are going to give them Gavin McKenna as they do every 20 years. Pittsburgh gets that superstar.
So, I’m looking at Bryan Rust. I’m looking at Rickard Rakell. There are a few teams that still need a top-six forward. If you can make money work, I think Winnipeg does. I think Toronto does. Buffalo is pretty desperate for some kind of veteran help, and Erik Karlsson, to me, is the really intriguing name. He has two years left…if you retain half that salary…he’s a bargain all of a sudden, and there are teams that could use his veteran savvy, his puck-moving ability on the right side.
I really like him for the Detroit Red Wings. That would be an ideal fit. They’re a team that I think wanted to bid on Aaron Ekblad didn’t even get the chance … I think they really badly need that right-shot defenseman. You could have a mentor for your young Swedes on defense, Simon Edvinsson and Axel Sandin Pellikka as well, would be a nice fit with Erik Karlsson there. He just brings something that they need, a bona fide top-four defenseman. So I’d be kicking the tires hard on him if I’m Detroit, who also has a really deep and loaded Prospect pipeline. There’s a really nice fit for a trade there.
Continued; I still don’t quite see the “fit” in terms of the Red Wings adding some or all of Karlsson’s $11.5 million cap hit deal (for two more seasons) at 35 years of age, but there’s no doubt that he could help the Wings’ blueline.
Here’s the podcast clip, lined up to 7:04 into said podcast:
