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LeBrun: Erik Karlsson’s priority as trade talks swirl, Sharks sink? ‘I want to win’

My question to Erik Karlsson began with a preamble stating that it’s still six weeks until the trade deadline.

At which point Karlsson piped in: “Fun times, huh?”

The star Sharks blueliner has always had a great sense of humor, and the dig was probably more about what the pre-deadline period is like for people in my line of work than his own situation. But yeah, Karlsson also knows the possibility that he could be traded at the deadline, although it’s no certainty, is something of great interest to NHL media and fans.

The thing that’s been interesting this season — a year in which Karlsson, 32, has been electrifying with 62 points in 47 games — is just how transparent Sharks general manager Mike Grier has been, not only about being willing to listen to calls for Karlsson but Also about the line of communication between the GM and player.

Whatever happens, or doesn’t, before March 3, Karlsson won’t be blindsided. And by virtue of his full no-move clause, Karlsson has the final say on that.

“It’s a tough one,” Karlsson said, joining me and Ryan Rishaug on our “Got Yer Back” podcast. “I don’t like to plan too far ahead. I know that it’s a possibility in my future that things might change. Or they might not. I don’t know. So I don’t like to live in the unknown. And I don’t like to think about it too much. So I’m going to do what I can, which is to take care of myself and play as good as I possibly can to help San Jose out, to try and get us back to where we want to be.

“If that changes at some point throughout this journey, then it will, and we’ll deal with it in an appropriate way. But I think Griersy has done a great job in everything that he’s said and everything that he’s done and how he’s acted through all this. And I think he should explore all his options and his possibilities and do what he believes is best for this organization, because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”

There are no guarantees about how this will all play out. The fact it’s even a conversation is testimony to Karlsson’s incredible season — 13 points ahead of any other defenseman in scoring as of Thursday morning and fifth among all NHLers. He’s on pace for 110 points, which would easily eclipse his previous career high of 82 and be the NHL’s first 100-point season by a defenseman since 1991-92.

Like, it’s unreal.

And it has provoked teams to pick up the phone and check in with Grier, as reported by Corey Masisak. The Athletic‘s Sharks beat writer.

The rather significant fly in the ointment, of course, is Karlsson’s contract, which pays him $11.5 million per season for another four seasons after this one.

Still, when you see what Karlsson is doing, you can’t blame teams for wondering how much salary the Sharks would be willing to eat in a trade and whether there’s a way to make that happen.

I think teams are so capped-out in the current flat-cap environment that this will wait until June, when there’s a bit more flexibility.

There’s also the possibility that everyone involved is also ready for: that Karlsson stays put.

“I’d definitely be OK having him on the roster,” Grier said Friday, per Masisak. “He’s driving offense for us. He’s been great in the locker room. I’ve really enjoyed my time with him. We try and talk every few weeks and just kind of check in. He’s kind of refreshingly honest about the good things and the bad things and his flaws and things he doesn’t like and likes. It’s been good. I can see him being part of the team when we get this thing turned around.”

All things being equal, given where the Sharks are headed with this roster reconstruction, there’s probably a better chance than not that Karlsson is dealt before next fall.

Whatever happens, he will be more prepared for it this time. Being traded for the first time can be difficult for some players, as Claude Giroux discussed with us recently. And Karlsson also lived those emotions leading up to the September 2018 trade from Ottawa, a deal that followed a good 12 months of escalating trade rumors and speculation. It was hard.

This time, no matter what happens, Karlsson is more ready for it.

“Yeah, I hope so,” Karlsson said. “Now I have a family. I have two kids and a wife and a beautiful home here, and we’re kind of rooted here. So I think that will be the biggest challenge, if anything. You know, I think hockey-wise I’m in a good state of mind where I’m just focusing on the things that I can control. I think when I got the deal from Ottawa, it was a little bit different. Because I thought I would never leave there. I didn’t think it was in the cards for me. And it wasn’t something I preferred.

“So yeah, I do think I will handle this a little bit differently. I don’t think it’s something that I’m walking around thinking about too much. I think that once we go a little bit deeper here and if things start to really materialize and start setting in, maybe that will change. But as of right now, I’m happy here, my family likes it here, and you know, I’m feeling good.

“Whatever they decide to do about me, it’s their decision, and once they present me with that, then I’ll take a stance.”

Karlsson has heavy hitters as his reps in Craig Oster and Don Meehan from Newport Sports, so any trade would be a collaborative effort with the Sharks. Just look at how Oster maneuvered Matthew Tkachuk from Calgary to Florida last summer for a sense of how they work things behind the scenes.

The eventual dilemma seems apparent. Karlsson is happy in San Jose as far as how much his family loves it there. But he’s also a competitive guy who wants to win, and the Sharks aren’t doing a whole lot of that. If the right contender came calling, it might be hard for him to say no.

“I’m always going to advocate that. That’s always been who I am, and I want to win,” Karlsson said when Rishaug asked about the desire to win as a factor. “That’s always going to be my objective. I think my family knows and understands that, and they support me in whatever decision I want to take professionally. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to make a move right now with everything. But if it comes right down to it, I don’t think there would be any issues doing it. And I don’t think my family would have any problem adjusting or that I wouldn’t get the same support from my wife, because I know she wants the same things for me.

“I will never sway from that. I want to win. And I think as you get older and you’ve been around for a longer time, you realize that it’s not as easy as it looks and you’ve got to hit it right at the right time.”

That’s just the thing, too. It’s hard sometimes to pick that perfect spot. For starters, there are only so many teams that would be able to navigate the complicated nature of this trade because of the contract and the cap. But then if you’re Karlsson, do you know for sure you’ll be able to win with any of those teams?

In a parity-filled league, it’s not always obvious. So much changes from season to season. That in itself presents another layer for Karlsson.

“You can never really tell,” he agreed. “I think maybe last year was the first year in a while where everybody saw Colorado as the No. 1 favorite to win and they did. Even Tampa, you know, it took them a while to get to where they are now. I remember playing Tampa back in the day when Stammer (Steven Stamkos) and Heddy (Victor Hedman) and (the team) weren’t very good. All of a sudden, now they’re a powerhouse. They have been for a while and probably will be a little longer.

“But, you know, all the spots are full. There’s not a lot of wiggle room out there, either.”

The whole thing is a bit like Russian roulette, Karlsson said.

“As long as you’re somewhere where you believe in what they’re doing and you’re fully invested, I think that’s all you can ask for — is to have a legitimate chance and hope that it works out,” he said. “So, we’ll see what happens for me.”

And yes, maybe it will be staying in San Jose at the end of the day.

“I like the way it’s going. I know that much,” Karlsson said of the Sharks’ new direction as a franchise. “I know that the hires that they’ve made and the people they’ve put in charge are doing a great job and moving in the right direction. I’ve liked everything that they’ve said and that they’ve done. And I know that the future here is going to be really bright. I just hope that it’s within my timeline. If it’s not, that’s a different discussion. And that’s where we haven’t really gotten yet, I don’t think.

“It’s also a tricky part because, like you said, you never know, right? It could work out really fast or it could be a little bit of a longer thing. Sometimes that’s a gamble you have to take as far as which way you believe.”

One of the great storylines of the NHL season, the return of the magic man, Erik Karlsson, still has no clear ending. Does he stay or does he go?

(Top photo: Kavin Mistry / NHLI via Getty Images)

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