Do The Carolina Hurricanes Make Sense For Erik Karlsson?

With only a few days remaining in July, all three of Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson are still on the Pittsburgh Penguins' roster. 

Although it's relatively quiet, speculation is still abound. And - on that note - there may be one team that makes a whole lot of sense as a suitor for Karlsson.

This summer, the Carolina Hurricanes made the decision to move on from veteran right defenseman Brent Burns, 41, as he became a free agent on Jul. 1 and signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche. As of now, Carolina's right side consists of steady shutdown defenseman Jaccob Slavin, Jalen Chatfield, and Sean Walker.

While that’s certainly not a poor right side by any means, it could certainly use a more surefire upgrade, especially when considering that - at this point - the Canes lack a true, developed offensive play driver and power play quarterback on their blue line as a whole.

And - since they’re in “win-now” mode - Karlsson is the perfect fit for the next two seasons.

The thing about the Hurricanes is that, unlike pretty much any other team who might be interested in Karlsson, they already have the cap space to fit his contract without any retention. The Penguins owe Karlsson $10 million of his $11.5 million annual salary, and the Hurricanes currently have $10.64 million in cap space.

But, even if that’s the case, it is foolish to expect any Karlsson deal not to include retention. Including retention will also up the return, and Carolina has a pretty decent prospect pool.

Of course, it’s not as if the Penguins will land Alexander Nikishin or Bradly Nadeau for Karlsson. The 35-year-old defenseman - despite winning three Norris Trophies, with the most recent coming in 2022-23, when he registered 101 points as a San Jose Shark just prior to his Pittsburgh stint - has produced a bit of a mixed bag in this two seasons with the Penguins.

Karlsson has been inconsistent in terms of risk v. reward, but he’s still been good for 22 goals and 109 points in 164 games. Plus, playing in a more defensively structured system in Carolina might actually serve to benefit Karlsson, as those around him can compensate for his lacking defense while he takes the initiative to generate offense.

In any case, the Penguins are not going to get a top-three prospect for Karlsson. But they may be able to snag a B-tier prospect with some upside as well as a higher-value draft pick in exchange for Karlsson, should the Penguins retain any salary.

Of all the teams potentially in the market for Karlsson, Carolina certainly makes the most sense. And time will only tell how the Karlsson situation shakes out.

4 Potential Destinations For Penguins' Defenseman Erik KarlssonWith most of the big-name free agents off the board, the

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!     

Feature image credit: Credit: Talia Sprague - Imagn Images