KARLSSON TRADE WATCH CONTINUES

TORONTO, ON — With Day 1 of Free Agency now in the rearview, the attention now shifts to the trade market and which players could be moved over the course of the summer.

The remaining top free agent crop, led by Tyler Bertuzzi, Matt Dumba, Vladimir Tarasenko and Max Domi, are expected to find homes at some point Sunday, though there are no guarantees.

Bertuzzi is believed to be looking for a deal between five-to-seven years and north of $5 million per season. The Florida Panthers, who may be exploring the trade market on Sam Reinhart in order to free up some more cap space, are among the teams in the mix.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames are some of the teams still pursuing Domi, who is looking for a well-deserved raise from the $3 million he made last season on a multi-year deal.

Tarasenko is aiming for a similar deal to that of Bertuzzi, but term might be the concern. The Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders are two teams that have poked around.

The Dallas Stars are one of the teams that would love to add Dumba, but they need to clear out money and there’s some chatter Mason Marchment might be in play. He has a 10-team no-trade list and three-years left on his contract.

Speaking of trade chatter, all eyes are on the San Jose Sharks and what they end up doing with Erik Karlsson.

Karlsson, 33, has four years left on his contract and comes with an $11.5 million salary cap hit. The Sharks are willing to retain about $3 million of that, but do not have much of an appetite to eat more – which is why a third team could likely be used as a broker to help facilitate a move.

On Saturday, Karlsson’s camp are believed to have presented the Sharks with a list of teams the Norris Trophy winner would waive his no-movement clause for and accept a trade to.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins are very much in the hunt for him, with the Seattle Kraken, Maple Leafs and another unknown club lurking in the weeds.

I spoke with Karlsson last weekend in Nashville and it’s clear he is ready to move on to a contender and chase a Stanley Cup. He has truly enjoyed his time in San Jose, but given the direction the team is going in, he wants a shot at a championship.

As Karlsson sits back and waits, hoping for a deal to go down sooner rather than later, the ball remains in Sharks GM Mike Grier’s court as he navigates the trade waters.

Hurricanes defenceman Brett Pesce and Penguins blueliner Marcus Pettersson could be part of a trade if either club is involved to offset cap implications, though San Jose may not be their final destination. Both have a cap hit of $4.025 million – Pesce is in the final year of his deal, while Pettersson has two-years left on his.

DEBRINCAT WAITING TO BE TRADED

The Ottawa Senators are trying to find Alex DeBrincat a new home, but for the time being, his contract demands are an obstacle.

As I reported yesterday on NHL Network, the Anaheim Ducks are among the teams that have expressed serious interest in DeBrincat. The New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Seattle Kraken are/were also in the mix.

DeBrincat’s camp has permission to negotiate a contract with other clubs, but it seems term is the sticking point.

Senators GM Pierre Dorion told the media on Saturday that they have come close to deals, but DeBrincat is “looking for something in particular” and that has jammed things up.

Expect those discussions to continue as both sides would this to come to the finish line sooner rather than later.

SCHEIFELE ON BOSTON’S RADAR?

The Boston Bruins are exploring the trade market and looking for ways to improve their club as they prepare for life without Patrice Bergeron.

While Bergeron has not yet made any final decisions, the team is operating as if he and centre David Krejci are hanging up their skates.

The Bruins, barring a major shift in direction, are not signing Tyler Bertuzzi and want to bring in a top-six forward, ideally a centre.

One player the Bruins are believed to have expressed some interest in is Winnipeg Jets centre Mark Scheifele, who is in the final year of his contract and comes with a $6.125 million cap hit. He also owns a 10-team no-trade clause.

Trade talks involving Scheifele has been fairly quiet recently, as teams waiting to see how the free agent market would play out. Boston has limited options and he could be a good fit for a team that currently lacks both a No.1 and No.2 centre.

Something to keep an eye on.