couldnt afford 2nd t
Joined: Sep. 2021
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The Senators cannot do this cap wise. The Sharks would need to take Joseph and Zaitsev. Ottawa would then need to trade Debrincat.
Keeping in mind that Thomson and Brannstrom aren't worth very much, if the Sharks could get a 1st, and two 2nds, while only retaining 25 percent, and not taking back any bad contracts, I think that Karlsson would be traded already. Grier has postured about not wanting to trade Karlsson unless they get a good return, but the reality is that Karlsson's term poses a lot of risk to whoever holds that contract and there is no guarantee he continues this level of play next season or beyond. This is their chance to get out of that contract and recoup some assets. They may not have another chance. The fact that Karlsson is having maybe the best season of his career, and they cannot find a way to move him, that tells you about what the market for him must be like with his term.
Frank Seravalli already stated that he didn't think the Oilers would take Karlsson with retained salary even with dumping Puljujarvi to San Jose. If that is accurate, that tells you how difficult it is going to be for San Jose to get out of that contract and get a good return.
The deal would have to be something like Debrincat, Zaitsev, Joseph, then any additional assets for Karlsson. It is unlikely that the Sharks want Debrincat, so it would have to be a 3-way deal where Debrincat goes to a contender for a 1st++, and Ottawa flips those picks to San Jose for Karlsson. The Senators need to budget 5-8 million for a Sanderson extension that starts in 2024-2025. They don't have room for Karlsson and Debrincat at a combined 17 million.