Canadiens: Could Kent Hughes Be Tempted By Erik Karlsson?

The right side of the blue line for the Montreal Canadiens will be a priority this offseason. With names like Kristopher Letang and John Klingberg in the rumor mill as potential UFA’s , we can now add the name of Erik Karlsson to the list.

The San Jose Sharks have announced the resignation of longtime General Manager Doug Wilson on Thursday. After 19 seasons with the team, Wilson decided it was time to step aside. He was the team’s 4th General Manager in team history.

The Sharks are going through a transformation and a few high priced players could be made available. Brent Burns is said to be made available although the 37 year old still has 3 years left to his contract with an $8 million annual cap hit.

Same can be said for Marc-Édouard Vlasic. “Pickles” has been shopped around in recent years but he’s another Sharks player with an ugly contract. He’s 35 years old and still has 4 years left on his contract at $7 million annually.

In comes Erik Karlsson who, despite having a hefty contract himself, might find himself a new home once a new GM is in place in San Jose.

A trade that would include Karlsson however would be extremely complicated and would likely require a third team to retain some salary. Furthermore, a trade would require Karlsson’s cooperation as he has a full no trade clause.

His contract is extremely heavy. Five years left at an annual $11.5 million cap hit. In today’s cap world, no one would take on Karlsson’s full contract, even if he is only 31 years old and can still potentially perform at an elite level. This season, Karlsson has 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points in 47 games, which is still impressive considering the mess the Sharks roster is currently in.

Let’s speculate that everyone is willing to play ball. If the Canadiens were to get Karlsson, who let’s admit, he would definitely find his wings again under Martin St. Louis, there would be a need to send some salary to California for this to work. Mike Hoffman would definitely need to be part of the trade as having him and Karlsson in the same locker room again is a recipe for disaster.

If the Canadiens were to start a package involving Hoffman and Joel Armia, then it would be a good first step. The Sharks would get some much needed help up front while shedding a massive contract. Having the Sharks retain $1.5 million annuall might not be too much to ask. Then a third team like the Coyotes or Kraken can come in and absorb another $2 million in return for a draft pick or prospect. The Canadiens would then absorb Karlsson at $8 million while shipping out $7.9 million.

This is pure fantasy and of course would recquire a lot more. Cayden Primeau and perhaps a draft pick or two and/or prospects for example would likely have to be added San Jose’s way, while at a minimum a 2nd round pick would have to be sacrificed by Montreal in order to get a third team to take on some salary.

We all love Kristopher Letang and what he did for the Pittsburgh Penguins but let’s be realistic. Letang would likely cost between $7-8 million a year on a 4-5 year contract. Getting Erik Karlsson for that price would just be more attractive, considering that on the right team, Karlsson could elevate his game further and return to Norris trophy form.

Now back on earth, this will probably never happen and this is just pure “what if” speculation. However if i’m Kent Hughes, i’m looking at all the options out there, no matter how farfetched they might be.

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