Report: Oilers, Sharks re-engage in Karlsson trade discussions

Ken Holland appears to have liked what he saw at the All-Star Game from Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Erik Karlsson.

The San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers have re-engaged in trade talks about Karlsson, TSN's Chris Johnston reported Saturday. The teams have already discussed a deal at least once this season, Johnston notes.

Karlsson is in the midst of a historic campaign. The 32-year-old is first among NHL blue-liners with 70 points in 53 games and paces all skaters in even-strength scoring.

The Norris Trophy front-runner is signed through 2026-27 at an $11.5-million cap hit.

Injuries and declining play before this season made Karlsson look like a significant anchor for the Sharks. He hasn't played more than 70 games in a campaign since 2017-18 with the Ottawa Senators, which was also the last time he ranked top 10 in scoring by defensemen.

Edmonton would need to create significant cap space to add Karlssson's contract, even if the Sharks retain the maximum 50% of his salary to shrink his cap hit to $5.75 million.

The Oilers have just over $1 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly. Edmonton will also need to shed salary to activate Kailer Yamamoto and his $3.1-million cap hit from long-term injured reserve in the coming days.

San Jose acquired Karlsson in a blockbuster trade with the Senators on Sep. 13, 2018. The Sharks sent Dylan DeMelo, Chris Tierney, Rudolfs Balcers, and Josh Norris to Ottawa, along with a first-round pick that the team used to select Tim Stutzle.