Most trade speculation linking Erik Karlsson to the Edmonton Oilers faded after the Mattias Ekholm trade. But there is some thought about the off-season.
In the weeks leading up to the March 3 trade deadline, there was speculation linking the Edmonton Oilers to Erik Karlsson. The Oilers passed on trading for the 32-year-old San Jose Sharks defenseman, instead acquiring blueliner Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators.
That should've brought an end to any conjecture of the Oilers continuing their pursuit of Karlsson to an end. However, The Athletic's Eric Duhatschek recently pondered the possibility of them exploring a summertime trade for the Sharks' blueliner.
Duhatschek felt the key is finding a way for the Oilers to accommodate Karlsson's contract. He's signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $11.5 million.
CapFriendly shows the Oilers have pending RFAs Evan Bouchard, Ryan McLeod and Klim Kostin in need of new deals and four pending UFAs. They have 15 NHL players under contract with about $8.5 million in projected cap space.
One option could be shipping Jack Campbell to the Sharks. Duhatschek observed the 30-year-old goaltender struggled to seize the starter's job in Edmonton after signing a five-year deal last summer worth $5 million annually.
Duhatschek suggested Campbell might regain his form with the rebuilding Sharks, who can afford to take on his cap hit. The Oilers could bring in a cheap backup for Stuart Skinner and take on Karlsson if the Sharks retained $2 million of his cap hit in exchange for two or three prospects, such as Phillip Broberg and Xavier Bourgault.
It's an intriguing scenario assuming the Oilers are still interested in Karlsson after taking on Ekholm. However, it could still be too difficult to pull off. Aside from trying to make it work within the salary cap, the Sharks could be uninterested in Campbell or unwilling to retain part of Karlsson's salary in the deal.
Karlsson was in Edmonton on Monday as the Sharks took on the Oilers in a 5-4 overtime loss. He was asked about the rumored interest the Oilers had on him ahead of the trade deadline, but Karlsson told reporters his camp never approached him "in any fashion."
If the Oilers are out of the running for Karlsson, there could be other clubs willing to pursue an off-season trade when they have more cap room. Such a move could involve one or two salaried players going to San Jose to make the dollars fit.