Red Wings could target Pittsburgh's Erik Karlsson as blueline add with contract retention on the table.
The Red Wings are looking to make several improvements in key areas of their lineup with one of them being another defenceman.
There's an obvious option on the table for GM Steve Yzerman sitting in Pittsburgh with blueliner Erik Karlsson. The 35-year-old Swede showed he still has lots of skill left in him when representing his country at the Four Nations Face-Off this past February. Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas has been notably rebuilding his roster with younger talent and Detroit could add to it while getting a veteran defenceman that can coach up the young Red Wings on the blueline.
Dubas has noted he wants to do right by Karlsson and send him to a contender plus is willing to retain some his $10 million cap hit per season over the next two years. San Jose is already eating some of Karlsson's contract and with a max 50 per cent retained from Pittsburgh, it would leave him at just $5 million per season.
The return package to Pittsburgh will be the hardest part to determine for the Red Wings as the rental of Karlsson would likely get them into the playoffs but they potentially have him for only two more years before his contract expires and he could then retire at 37 years old. Yzerman could make the move if he anticipates Karlsson having a career ending like Carolina's Brent Burns, who played this last season at 40 years old and was still effective.
Karlsson finished with 53 points last season, which ranked 13th among NHL defencemen and placed him ahead of players like Jakob Chychrun, John Carlson, and Thomas Harley. He averaged 23:14 of ice time per game, the second-most on the Penguins and 33rd overall in the league. He proved he can be a reliable player with the third-most power-play minutes and the most overtime minutes on the team.
Defensively, he registered 94 blocked shots, the fourth-most on the Penguins. However, puck management was an issue, as he finished with 140 giveaways, the second-highest total in the NHL. These can be fixed and limited while giving the Red Wings a crucial right-handed shot as they only have three on the current roster.
It would be a massive swing for Detroit as they would need to convince Karlsson that they will be contenders in the near future and with his immidate help, they will find themselves back in the playoff picture.
