It was reported last week [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-rumor-roundup-could-the-maple-leafs-and-penguins-make-a-deal] that several clubs, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, were believed to have an interest in Erik Karlsson. The 35-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thn.com/pittsburgh] defenseman has been the frequent subject of trade speculation stretching back to last season. The Penguins' acquisition [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-trade-for-stars-defenseman-matt-dumba] of Matt Dumba from the Dallas Stars [https://thn.com/dallas] last Thursday has some observers wondering if the move foreshadows a possible Karlsson trade. Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review believes [https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-matt-dumba-trade-makes-sense-for-penguins-and-is-probably-just-the-start/] the acquisition of the right-shot Dumba indicates that Karlsson's exit is pending. He also thinks Dumba can be flipped at next year's trade deadline for a draft pick. The Hockey News’ Kelsey Surmacz also suggested [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/will-the-dumba-trade-have-a-ripple-effect-on-erik-karlsson] Dumba's addition could set the stage for Karlsson's departure. She noted a lot would have to happen for that to fall into place, including the blueliner waiving his no-movement clause and the Penguins retaining part of their $10-million share [https://puckpedia.com/team/pittsburgh-penguins] of his $11.5 million average annual value. TSN's Chris Johnston claimed [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtweShfjELg&ab_channel=sdpn] that Karlsson is willing to waive his no-move clause but only for a few teams. Surmacz wondered if the Carolina Hurricanes [https://thn.com/carolina] or the Maple Leafs [https://thn.com/toronto] would be interested, or if a reunion was possible between Karlsson and the Ottawa Senators [https://thn.com/ottawa]. It's been rumored that Karlsson would prefer to join a team that provides him with a shot at winning the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes would be the best bet in that regard. The Leafs are a strong regular-season club, but they've only won two playoff series in the last eight years. Karlsson maintains a home in the Ottawa area, and the Senators are a young team on the rise. However, they're currently not in a position to help him scratch that Stanley Cup itch. Erik Karlsson (David Gonzales-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/54bf3e26-3aa5-454b-a7a5-9be24ac2ccff.jpeg] Erik Karlsson (David Gonzales-Imagn Images) Turning to the New York Islanders [https://thn.com/nyislanders], we noted some recent speculation [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-rumor-roundup-the-latest-on-ilya-sorokin-anthony-cirelli-and-mason-mctavish] suggesting they may have had some trade conversations regarding Ilya Sorokin. Stefen Rosner provided a strong rebuttal as to why they wouldn't move their 29-year-old franchise goaltender. Sorokin's agent, Dan Milstein, wasted no time [https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/agent-new-york-islanders-g-ilya-sorokin-has-never-been-part-of-any-trade-discussions-1.2333904] swatting down the trade conjecture. On Thursday, he reminded everyone that his client has a full no-movement clause. Milstein stated that Sorokin “has never been part of any trade discussions – not at any point.” Sorokin also weighed in on the issue, telling RG.Org's Sergey Demidov he was surprised [https://rg.org/news/hockey/sorokin-on-trade-rumors-surprised-people-took-them-seriously] how seriously some people took the rumors, despite knowing about his no-trade protection. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
