Trades and signings have slowed down this off-season, but speculation and rumors remain that link the Sharks' Erik Karlsson to the Penguins and Hurricanes.

The NHL's off-season rumor mill has reached its dog days. Most of the best players in a shallow UFA pool were signed weeks ago. Meanwhile, activity in the trade market has slowed since the Ottawa Senators shipped Alex DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings on July 9.

All of the media chatter regarding trade rumors remains firmly fixed on where Erik Karlsson might be shipped by the San Jose Sharks. Coming off a career-best 101-point performance, the 33-year-old was awarded his third Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman. As a result, his trade value has never been higher.

Appearing on the NHL Network last week, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman considered the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes as the front-runners for Karlsson. He indicated that it's a bit of a poker game going on between those clubs and the Sharks that will be resolved once one of those clubs bends to make a deal happen.

Most of the speculation suggests the Penguins have the inside track. On July 12, The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported a deal with the Sharks was close during the hours leading up to the start of free agency on July 1. For whatever reason, it didn't take place.

Yohe's colleague Rob Rossi reported the Penguins remain confident that they're Karlsson's preferred team. He claimed they have multiple plans to acquire the blueliner once the Sharks decide to make their move.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now's Dan Kingerski believes any trade involving Karlsson to the Penguins must include Jeff Petry and his $6.25-million annual cap hit heading the other way. He pointed out that there's no plausible way the Penguins can add another right-side defenseman or find sufficient ice time to justify Petry's minutes.