Five front-runners emerge for Penguins star Erik Karlsson

David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Five teams emerge as front-runners for Penguins star defenseman Erik Karlsson

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Feb 28, 2025 1:06 PM ET

It appears that the Penguins' Erik Karlsson sweepstakes may be down to five front-runner teams, per reports coming out from Bleacher Report.

The Penguins won't be trumpeting it openly, but plainly speaking, they're rebuilding. Since their last year's trade deadline, when they sent Jake Guentzel to Carolina, their philosophy has been to the future.

They're stockpiling draft picks, strengthening their farm system and only making minor short-term roster additions. It's not a tear-down, per se, but a rebuild nonetheless.

As losses pile up and the team continues to fall in the standings, the next few days could witness further changes. Pittsburgh has already made a couple of transactions this season, and there may be more to come.

The biggest trade bargaining chip is Erik Karlsson. His stint in Pittsburgh has been a letdown, and although his offense still exists, the fit has not been ideal.

The Penguins can be convinced to trade the 34-year-old, considering San Jose's trade has not panned out as anticipated, The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported.

It would be too expensive to buy out Karlsson, making a trade more likely

But buying out Karlsson will not be inexpensive. His $10 million cap hit over the next two years and his no-movement status are stumbling blocks.

Pittsburgh has one available slot on which to keep salary, but that will not be done with Karlsson, so making a deal could be a bit complicated.

But if the Penguins are indeed shopping, here are five destinations that have been mentioned as top suitors per Bleacher Report.

The top five teams linked to Karlsson are the Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and Detroit Red Wings.