Penguins Still in ‘Poker Game’ for Erik Karlsson
Erik Karlsson watch rolls along as the Pittsburgh Penguins are still searching for the perfect deal.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are entering day 13 of trying to land Norris Trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson, but they aren’t alone.
It’s been known that the Penguins are locked in with the Carolina Hurricanes as the last two teams standing for Karlsson’s talents and things are beginning to slow down.
According to Elliotte Friedman, all three parties involved know what they want to do, but it’s a matter of who is willing to bend first to complete the move.
“I think that San Jose knows what Carolina is willing to do. I think they know what Pittsburgh is willing to do. I think both those two teams know what San Jose is willing to do.”
Karlsson has formally requested a trade from the Sharks, but given the award winning season he just posted, the Sharks have a high asking price.
Also given the amount of money on Karlsson’s contract, the Penguins need to make other moves to free up the cap space, even if the Sharks retain some percentage.
There are still a lot of moving parts for everyone involved and no one has reached full satisfaction.
“Right now it’s kind of a poker game,” Friedman said. “Does anyone move? Or does anyone change? I think this will get done. It’s a situation where no one is 100% happy.”
The wait may be getting long, but the Penguins are still in the running and are still working to make a deal work.
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