Maple Leafs Need to Trade for Erik Karlsson for 2024 Stanley Cup Push Amid NHL Rumors

The Toronto Maple Leafs may look to end their 56-year Stanley Cup drought by acquiring San Jose Sharks defenseman and 2023 Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson in a trade, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

It will not be easy for the Leafs to make the deal as the team attempts to extend stars, Auston Matthews and William Nylander, especially given Karlsson has four years remaining on an $11.5 million deal.

The team enters the offseason with an estimated $6,743,551 in cap space, per Spotrac.

Still, the Stanley Cup hopefuls need to make the deal if even remotely possible.

Sharks brass are willing to eat a portion of the deal to make the move, but by no means does that suggest the team will not be looking for fair compensation for the superstar player.

"He's not someone I'm just looking to give away," Sharks general manager Mike Grier told reporters in a Zoom call.

"But for people to think we're going to eat 50 percent of his contract and all this type of stuff, it's probably not going to happen," he continued. "...Erik's a special player who is on the path of being a Hall of Fame player."

The Leafs have also expressed interest in a trio of Calgary Flames defenders (Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov) and given general manager Brad Treliving's friendship with new Flames GM Craig Conroy, it would not be surprising at all to see the team acquire one of those young, intriguing players instead.

If that were to occur, the team would be settling rather than jumping at the opportunity to acquire a player that would make the team demonstrably better.

The Leafs are an offensive-minded team, especially with Matthews at the forefront. They can score with anyone but have lacked production on the defensive side of the ice.

Karlsson would provide that.

This past season, he accounted for 101 points from the blue line, with career highs in points and assists. His shooting percentage of 12 was also the best in his 14-year NHL run.

There are, and should be, concerns about his health and ability to play an entire season. This past season was the first time he appeared in 82 games since the 2015-16 season.

Even so, the question then becomes whether the Leafs are willing to miss out on an opportunity to acquire a player that will enhance their ability to win the title that has eluded them for five decades on the chance that Karlsson will be injured and miss time.

"I'm the best when you need to be the best. But if I don't have the chance to get to the place where you need to play the big games, then I might as well not do it. I could go through 82 games a year and be good, but I want to play when matters," the Norris Trophy player told reporters Sunday when discussing his desire to play for a contending team.

The Leafs have oftentimes, and deservedly so, been criticized for not playing up to the moment. If the team can make something work, while still keeping the cap space necessary to assure the extensions of Matthews and Nylander, they would be foolish to settle for any lesser player.