The trips have been many.
But now it seems to be clear.
According to expert Elliotte Friedman, a team has won the battle for Erik Karlsson.
Erik Karlsson has been the man of rumors this summer in the NHL. He had a record-breaking season in the NHL, becoming the first defenseman in 30 years to reach 100 points in the league. For that he was awarded the Norris Trophy, the prize for the defender of the year.
Win the fight
But there hasn’t exactly been any time for rest and relaxation for Karlsson. He has requested a trade from the San Jose Sharks this summer as he wants to join a Stanley Cup contender, and the Sharks have been willing to let him go as they plan a rebuilding phase.
It’s not often that players of Karlsson’s caliber are on the market, and there hasn’t exactly been a lack of interest, despite Karlsson being one of the league’s best-paid players. It’s been a puzzle for the interested teams, and the Sharks will have to retain some of Karlsson’s salary to get a deal done. But now a major breakthrough seems to have taken place, and one team now appears to have won the battle for Karlsson.
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All clear
It has long looked like it is between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Pittsburgh Penguins, and according to the respected journalist Elliotte Friedman, it now seems clear that it will be the Penguins for Karlsson.
– I fully expect that it will be Pittsburgh now for Erik Karlsson, says Friedman.
Friedman believes that the only thing missing is that some player leaves so that all the financial matters are clear, but that the deal with San Jose and Pittsburgh is now complete.
– The deal is already done. The Sharks have told the Hurricanes it will be a no, he says.
In Pittsburgh, Erik Karlsson will be teammates with players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – and it seems clear that they are giving it one last, clear shot at a new Stanley Cup.
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