Kraken Must Target Sharks' Erik Karlsson to Improve Title Odds Amid NHL Trade Rumors

Erik Karlsson and the San Jose Sharks are ready to move on from each other, with both sides working to find a trade partner for the veteran defenceman, TSN reported, and there are few better suitors right now than the Seattle Kraken.

The team made its first playoff appearance in just its second year of existence, advancing to the Western Conference Semifinal, where it ultimately lost to the Dallas Stars. The team has solid pieces that can shape its future but is lacking that one star veteran who can be the difference maker and push the team to the next round.

Coming off a career year, Karlsson can be that guy.

The 33-year-old set highs in goals (25), assists (a league-leading 76), points (101) and shooting percentage (12) this past season. He also played 82 games for the first time since 2015-16. Healthy for the first time in nearly eight seasons, he proved he is still an impact player in the league and someone who can be the catalyst for a championship run.

Karlsson wants to play for a contender.

"I will never sway from that. I want to win. And I think as you get older and you've been around for a longer time, you realize that it's not as easy as it looks, and you've got to hit it right at the right time," he told the Got Yer Back podcast.

Seattle is that and more importantly, a contender with the equity to make a hypothetical trade with the Sharks a reality.

They have the cap space ($20,343,424 per Spotrac) and draft picks (three second-rounders in 2023) to make a deal happen. That is something that the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, two teams who could also benefit from a player of Karlsson's magnitude in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

Karlsson provides the blue line help that the Kraken are missing and veteran presence on the defensive side of the puck.

The team allowed just over three goals against this season, something it will have to shore up if it hopes to reach the next round of playoff competition and realistically compete for a championship.

While he is not an instant fix, what he brings to the table in experience and leadership, as well as offensively as we saw this past season, makes him one of the most coveted trade targets this offseason and a piece Seattle absolutely must make a run at to ensure that 2022-23 was the start of consistent playoff berths and championship pushes.