The San Jose Sharks have had forgettable times on the Ice Hockey rink for the past three decades. This NHL franchise is trying its best to get things back on track. Every season they start with great positivity, but things have not been working for them. If all this was not enough for them as a team, they have suffered another blow. They have lost one of their best defensemen, Erik Karlsson, in a trade that took place recently. There were rumors of his trade for the last few months and these rumors seem to have come to life. Following this, they are facing heavy criticism from fans around the world.

During this massive three-team NHL trade, the Sharks have lost Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This third-round pick will be remembered for ages, as the Penguins have added some big guns to their arsenal.

A historic NHL trade

As reported by USA Today, in this three-way trade, the Penguins have acquired 33-year-old Karlsson; this trade also involves the swapping of Montreal Canadiens. The trade was officially announced by Kyle Dubas, the President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. He was picked by the Sharks in a trade with the Ottawa Senators in 2018. Karlsson has been signed until the 2026–27 season, and he has received a draft amount of $11.5 million as the average annual value. San Jose will retain $1.5 million at the end of the deal in 2027. Talking about the trade Sharks general manager Mike Grier stated, “While it is always difficult to trade a player of the caliber of Erik Karlsson, this trade accomplishes several goals for our franchise.” 

Karlsson clinched the Norris Trophy for the third time this season as the NHL’s best defenseman. This was his third time when he won the Norris Trophy. He finished his current season with 101 points, 25 goals, and 76 assists in a total of 82 games. After this excellent performance, he became the first defenseman in NHL history to claim a 100-point season since 1991–92. He also dominated all the defensemen in terms of goals, points, and assists and was the 11th-best player overall this season. In his 14 seasons and 960 appearances with the Senators and Sharks, he has 178 goals, 583 assists, and 761 points in his career. Karlsson was not the only one who was picked by the Penguins; this swap was one of the biggest ones yet.

Pittsburg Penguins’ are strengthening their roster

The Penguins have also acquired forward Rem Pitlick from Montreal, forward Dillon Hamaliuk from Montreal, and a third-round draft pick for the 2026 season. The Penguins have received their 2024 first-round draft pick, which includes forward Mikael Granlund from the Sharks, defenseman Jan Rutta again from the Sharks, and Mike Hoffman, who played as a forward for the Canadiens.

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With this huge draft, the Penguins have surely caught the eye of NHL fans. With a player like Karlsson on their team, this Pennsylvania-based franchise must be looking to make the most of the upcoming NHL season.

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