In recent months, there has been a lot of talk in the NHL community about the Carolina Hurricanes trying to make a big trade for Erik Karlsson. The Pittsburgh Penguins are also trying hard to get him, creating a fierce competition between the two teams. Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks are patiently waiting for the right offer to come their way before considering trading Karlsson.
One challenge for both the Hurricanes and the Penguins in pursuing Karlsson is the salary cap space. The Hurricanes currently have less than a million dollars available in cap space, but they would need over $10 million to make the Karlsson deal happen. However, the Hurricanes have some valuable players with high salaries who could be part of the trade.
One of the tactics the Hurricanes are considering is involving their young forward, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, in the trade. Kotkaniemi has a salary cap hit of $4.82 million, and including him in the deal along with some salary retention by the Sharks could help balance the financial aspects of the trade.
Kotkaniemi is a promising player, having scored 43 points last season, and at just 23 years old, he could become an important part of the Sharks' young core.
This trade could be beneficial for both teams. The Hurricanes would acquire the talented offensive defenseman, Karlsson, while getting some financial relief from the Sharks. On the other hand, the Sharks would gain a promising young talent in Kotkaniemi, a solid defenseman in Brett Pesce, and some additional assets to support their ongoing rebuilding efforts.
