Erik Karlsson (Part 6)

[TheBeard]

I know this is an unpopular opinion but if he keeps up this play it may not be a horrible idea to see what his trade value would be. I know he’s got a NMC but for a minute it looked like a complete disaster of a deal but if there’s a chance he can regain some of his value and seeing as we’re a team not going anywhere with a lot of ugly contracts, I wouldn’t be opposed.

 

[Lebanezer]

I know this is an unpopular opinion but if he keeps up this play it may not be a horrible idea to see what his trade value would be. I know he’s got a NMC but for a minute it looked like a complete disaster of a deal but if there’s a chance he can regain some of his value and seeing as we’re a team not going anywhere with a lot of ugly contracts, I wouldn’t be opposed.

I'm getting the impression that you'd be okay with trading everyone.

 

[TheBeard]

I'm getting the impression that you'd be okay with trading everyone.

Honestly? Just the three defensemen. It’s one thing to have one highly paid D-man but we have three in the top 17. I don’t want to mire in this purgatory the team is currently in and would rather just admit our run is temporarily shelved and it’s time to restock.

 

[Ukapitalo]

I know this is an unpopular opinion but if he keeps up this play it may not be a horrible idea to see what his trade value would be. I know he’s got a NMC but for a minute it looked like a complete disaster of a deal but if there’s a chance he can regain some of his value and seeing as we’re a team not going anywhere with a lot of ugly contracts, I wouldn’t be opposed.

Unless he plays like a Norris candidate for the rest of the season it'll be pretty much impossible given his recent history and contract. You only consider that contract if you know you'll have a top-tier star on the ice every game. Karlsson certainly has the talent but hasn't been consistently performing there the last few years due to injuries, slow starts, etc.

 

[hohosaregood]

At this point, Karlsson is more valuable for us than what other teams value him at.

 

[TheBeard]

At this point, Karlsson is more valuable for us than what other teams value him at.

Probably but how about in three years?

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Probably but how about in three years?

Likely wouldn't be any different. His trade value is only going to diminish and what they get is likely not worth what they'd lose in him nor the retention they'd have to do to make it palatable to others.

 

[TheBeard]

Likely wouldn't be any different. His trade value is only going to diminish and what they get is likely not worth what they'd lose in him nor the retention they'd have to do to make it palatable to others.

While I'm not advocating for trading him, I wonder if this team isn't going to be in contention for at least another couple of years and by then who knows what EK65 we'll have, if we should at least take advantage of his return to form. I'm aware it's not plausible nor realistic, but I just worry that he's only elevating us to subpar as opposed to just awful.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

While I'm not advocating for trading him, I wonder if this team isn't going to be in contention for at least another couple of years and by then who knows what EK65 we'll have, if we should at least take advantage of his return to form. I'm aware it's not plausible nor realistic, but I just worry that he's only elevating us to subpar as opposed to just awful.

He's going to have to return to form for the rest of the season and explore that possibility in the offseason. But that's going to require either Karlsson asking out or DW getting canned before it's plausible. Plus with the flat cap, I can't see it happening until the league shows some progress from a revenue perspective.

 

[Karl Prime]

While I'm not advocating for trading him, I wonder if this team isn't going to be in contention for at least another couple of years and by then who knows what EK65 we'll have, if we should at least take advantage of his return to form. I'm aware it's not plausible nor realistic, but I just worry that he's only elevating us to subpar as opposed to just awful.

Right now the team has too many holes that even a really good Erik can only do so much. But if he remains healthy and really good in say, two or three years if and when things are better, then he'll be really good with a better team. Right now only a really potent offense can overcome the goaltending (like 18-19) but hopefully in the future the depth can be built up by the farm and they can figure the goaltending out.

 

[OrrNumber4]

I know this is an unpopular opinion but if he keeps up this play it may not be a horrible idea to see what his trade value would be. I know he’s got a NMC but for a minute it looked like a complete disaster of a deal but if there’s a chance he can regain some of his value and seeing as we’re a team not going anywhere with a lot of ugly contracts, I wouldn’t be opposed.

If Karlsson struggles, trade him.

If Karlsson is middling, trade him.

If Karlsson does well, trade him.

Sounds like you got a Karlsson problem. IMO, the Karlsson we saw over the past fiveish games...that's an 11.5 million dollar player. That's a player you can build around. Unquestionably, with Hertl back and decent goaltending, the Sharks are 5-0 in the past five...

 

[TheBeard]

If Karlsson struggles, trade him.

If Karlsson is middling, trade him.

If Karlsson does well, trade him.

Sounds like you got a Karlsson problem. IMO, the Karlsson we saw over the past fiveish games...that's an 11.5 million dollar player. That's a player you can build around. Unquestionably, with Hertl back and decent goaltending, the Sharks are 5-0 in the past five...

If we got decent goaltending I wouldn’t be so determined to see the team sell off.

 

[Anomie2029]

If we got decent goaltending I wouldn’t be so determined to see the team sell off.

So in other words, because the Sharks have an issue with goaltending (one position) which could be easily rectified this offseason with a buyout and then trade/free agency, you want to try and ship out an elite talent Dman for less value than what he holds for the team?

 

[TheBeard]

So in other words, because the Sharks have an issue with goaltending (one position) which could be easily rectified this offseason with a buyout and then trade/free agency, you want to try and ship out an elite talent Dman for less value than what he holds for the team?

A: it’s not as simple as “buying someone out”. We still need someone.
B: That and the whole core is older. In case you haven’t noticed the team was the third worst last year and we’re in the bottom 5 this year and that’s not all just on the goalies.

I will always root for this team and hope for wins but if we have a chance to remove some of the pieces that will haunt us 5 years down the road instead of hoping for finishing middle of the pack then I’m all for it.

 

[Karl Prime]

As a Sens fan I'll use them as an ezample to get my point across. The Sens goaltending was pretty bad from 08-11, with Gerber, Leclaire, and Elliott. Then near the end of the 2010-11 season where they were a bottom 3 team, Bryan Murray traded Elliott for Craig Anderson. Craig was a backup until the season prior where he played 71 games for a playoff Avs team, but had a SV% of .897 that season before the trade. In Ottawa he was amazing the rest of that season with a .939 and 11-5-1 to lower the teams' draft position. The next year nobody predicted Ottawa to be good but they were because of an elite 1C and an emerging superstar D-man, but the backbone of the success was a good goalie.

My point being is that you have bad goaltending until you don't. It's not outside the realm of possibility that Wilson buys out Jones, makes a trade or signs a free agent goalie, and if you find the right guy, a weakness can be a strength in a hurry. Maybe use a true tandem approach with [insert name here] and Melnichuk.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

If Karlsson struggles, trade him.

If Karlsson is middling, trade him.

If Karlsson does well, trade him.

Sounds like you got a Karlsson problem. IMO, the Karlsson we saw over the past fiveish games...that's an 11.5 million dollar player. That's a player you can build around. Unquestionably, with Hertl back and decent goaltending, the Sharks are 5-0 in the past five...

Well put. Some of you are surprising me with your optimism. Even I don't think they go 5-0 in that scenario.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

As a Sens fan I'll use them as an ezample to get my point across. The Sens goaltending was pretty bad from 08-11, with Gerber, Leclaire, and Elliott. Then near the end of the 2010-11 season where they were a bottom 3 team, Bryan Murray traded Elliott for Craig Anderson. Craig was a backup until the season prior where he played 71 games for a playoff Avs team, but had a SV% of .897 that season before the trade. In Ottawa he was amazing the rest of that season with a .939 and 11-5-1 to lower the teams' draft position. The next year nobody predicted Ottawa to be good but they were because of an elite 1C and an emerging superstar D-man, but the backbone of the success was a good goalie.

My point being is that you have bad goaltending until you don't. It's not outside the realm of possibility that Wilson buys out Jones, makes a trade or signs a free agent goalie, and if you find the right guy, a weakness can be a strength in a hurry. Maybe use a true tandem approach with [insert name here] and Melnichuk.

Dubnyk with a run of good games coming... I can feel it.

 

[CupfortheSharks]

The faith many of you have in Erik Karlsson, despite his glaring weaknesses, is amazing to me. This team will not contend for the cup anytime soon. If you can get out of this horrible contract without giving up a ton of futures or retention, you do it.

 

[Cas]

The faith many of you have in Erik Karlsson, despite his glaring weaknesses, is amazing to me. This team will not contend for the cup anytime soon. If you can get out of this horrible contract without giving up a ton of futures or retention, you do it.

Who is going to take Karlsson's horrible contract, with his glaring weaknesses, without demanding futures or retention?

 

[Danvilleshark]

DW made a bold move to put EK65 in Teal. I applauded that effort. There was enough of a sample size to see he was no longer the player he use to be. I think post foot surgery is the culprit but who knows. Signing him to the extension was a major mistake. Between 31,44,65 and 88 you have way too much long term money on players underperforming. DW put this together and I don't think it gets fixed until he is shown the door. Maybe the Kraken can help the Sharks unload some of this as they will need to meet the salary floor.

 

[Karl Prime]

The faith many of you have in Erik Karlsson, despite his glaring weaknesses, is amazing to me. This team will not contend for the cup anytime soon. If you can get out of this horrible contract without giving up a ton of futures or retention, you do it.

Even if Karlsson continues playing great for the next 80 games this season into next, a team would still demand a 1st rounder and 2.5-3 mil of retention. But if he continues playing great, then this is what they paid for, and what fans wanted to see from him. You can't be angry when Karl underperforms and then be angry when he's playing like a superstar.

 

[Sjsharks5]

The faith many of you have in Erik Karlsson, despite his glaring weaknesses, is amazing to me. This team will not contend for the cup anytime soon. If you can get out of this horrible contract without giving up a ton of futures or retention, you do it.

That’s the thing, you can’t. No team will be able to take on that contract without retention until it is one, maybe two years from expiring.

Meanwhile, I will say that I don’t necessarily have much faith in Karlsson, but at the same time, the weaknesses that he has shown in teal have diminished greatly in this recent short stretch. His defensive positioning has been waaaaay better, stronger stick work, more physical, fewer turnovers, etc. Assuming that his skating never returns to pre-injury level, he probably is never truly worth that contract. But if his glaring weaknesses turn out to be largely due to the fact that his groin wasn’t healthy, I can easily live with his contract when he is healthy. It’s the reliability of his health that I don’t have faith in.

 

[Danvilleshark]

Who is going to take Karlsson's horrible contract, with his glaring weaknesses, without demanding futures or retention?

Maybe DW junior get a GM gig and he takes him.

 

[Danvilleshark]

Even if Karlsson continues playing great for the next 80 games this season into next, a team would still demand a 1st rounder and 2.5-3 mil of retention. But if he continues playing great, then this is what they paid for, and what fans wanted to see from him. You can't be angry when Karl underperforms and then be angry when he's playing like a superstar.

Where is this continue to play great coming from? You have to first do something before you can continue.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Where is this continue to play great coming from? You have to first do something before you can continue.

He's playing pretty great right now since coming back.