Erik Karlsson Blames Elliotte Friedman for All the Noise Around a Possible Trade
Thanks to a major resurgence thus far in 2022-23, there has been plenty of speculation surrounding the future of Erik Karlsson, with many believing the San Jose Sharks may look to move him and his lucrative deal.
Given Karlsson's past, many have linked him to the Ottawa Senators, a team which he played with for the first nine seasons of his career. With the Sens and Sharks set to face off on Saturday night, the two time Norris Trophy winner was asked if he would have interest in playing with his former team at some point in the future.
"I don't know, it's so far away," Karlsson responded. "I'm just happy to be here right now and playing at the level that I am. I still got a lot left in me. Hopefully, I got a few more years, even after the expiration of this deal."
Heading into the 2022-23 campaign, many considered the 32-year-old Karlsson to have one of the worst contracts in the league. Injuries slowed him down in recent seasons, making his deal which continues through the end of the 2026-27 season with a cap hit of $11.5 million, a very difficult one to have on the books. That said, he is healthy and appears back to his elite self this season, as he finds himself with an extremely 11 goals and 32 points through just 26 games. For comparisons sake, he finished the 2021-22 campaign with 10 goals and 35 points in 50 outings.
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