Erik Karlsson had no wanderlust to test the free agent market before re-signing in San Jose.
“I never thought outside that box,” Karlsson said. “I’m happy that it didn’t get to that.”
A handful of other teams aren’t so happy because the two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman would have been the best unrestricted free agent available. Karlsson signing a $92 million, eight-year contract with the Sharks is the first big domino to fall since St. Louis won the Stanley Cup because of all the ramifications it could have on the NHL offseason.
With Karlsson off the board, any team looking for a No. 1 defenseman has to either hope veteran Alexander Edler doesn’t re-sign with the Canucks and win that bidding war or go the trade route. Salary-cap concerns for San Jose, Washington and a handful of other Cup contenders could open the door to some significant player movement even before free agency starts July 1.
“I think there’s been more conversation, more communication between the GMs in the last month than maybe ever since I’ve been a GM,” San Jose’s Doug Wilson said Monday. “There’s so much competition, especially for the high-end player. … There’s a lot of things going on.”