Sharks Traded NHL Star Erik Karlsson To Pens

Erik Karlsson is acquired by the Penguins in a three-team trade from the San Jose Sharks. Additionally, Pittsburgh acquired forwards Dillon Hamaliuk and Rem Pitlick as well as a third-round draught pick in 2026.

In a three-team trade involving the San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens, the Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired defenseman Erik Karlsson, forward Rem Pitlick, forward Dillon Hamaliuk, and a third-round draught pick in 2026, according to president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas.

Nathan Legare, Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith, and Pittsburgh’s 2025 second-round draught selection are all acquired by Montreal.

Karlsson has a contract that pays him an average of $11.5 million each year through the 2026–2027 campaign. San Jose keeps $1.5 million of his annual compensation.

Pitlick’s contract, which has an average annual value of $1.1 million, is valid through the 2023–24 season. The average annual value of Hamaliuk’s entry-level contract, which runs through the 2023–24 season, is $789,167.

For the third time in his career, Karlsson won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman in 2022–23 (after 2012 and 2015). Karlsson finished the season with 25 goals, 76 assists, and 101 points in 82 games with San Jose.

He recorded a 100-point season, becoming the sixth defenseman in NHL history and the first since Brian Leetch in 1991–1992. The 33-year-old finished 11th overall in the league in points and fourth in even-strength points with 74. He also led all defensemen in goals, assists, and points.

The seven-time NHL All-Star spent 14 NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks (2018-23) and Ottawa Senators (2009-18), tallying 178 goals, 583 assists, and 761 points in 920 games. His 0.83 points per game average is the eighth highest (minimum 300 games played), and his 761 career points rank 22nd in NHL history among defenseman.

In his career, the defenseman has scored 20 goals three times (in 2013–14, 2014–15, and 22–23), and he has scored 70 points five times (in 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, and 22–23). In 67 playoff games throughout the course of his career, Karlsson has accrued eight goals, 45 assists, and 53 points.

Karlsson is second only to Brent Burns (210 goals) in terms of assists and points among defensemen since his league debut in 2009–10. Throughout his 14 NHL seasons, he has five times led the league in defensemen’s scoring (2011–12, ‘13–14, ‘14–15, ‘15–16, & ‘22–23).

In eight seasons (2010-11, ’11-12, ’13-14, ’15-16, ’16-17, ’17-18, & ’22-23), Karlsson has led his team in defenseman points, and five times (2013-14, ’14-15, ’15-16, ’16-17, & ’22-23) has led his entire club in points.

The 6-foot, 190-pound defenceman has five times in his career made the Norris Trophy finals (in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 23). Karlsson has won three more Norris Trophies than any other defenseman in NHL history, including Bobby Orr (8), Nicklas Lidstrom (7), Doug Harvey (7), and Ray Bourque (5).

The Landsbro, Sweden native has competed for his native nation at international competitions such as the Olympics (2014), World Cup (2016), World Championship (2010 & ’12), World Under-18 Junior Championship, and World Junior Championship.

At the 2009 World Junior Championship, he took home a silver medal. At the 2010 World Championship and the 2014 Olympics, he won bronze.

The Senators initially selected Karlsson in the first round—15th overall—of the 2008 NHL Draught.

Pitlick, 26, split the 2022–23 campaign with the Montreal Canadiens and Laval Rocket, their AHL club. The forward scored six goals, had nine assists, and had 15 points in 46 NHL games. He recorded five goals, 17 assists, and 22 points in 18 games with Laval.

Since the start of 2019, the 5-foot-11, 186-pound forward has appeared in 123 NHL games, scoring 21 goals, providing 33 assists, and totaling 54 points for Montreal, the Minnesota Wild, and Nashville Predators. His greatest NHL campaign was in 2021–22, when he played 46 games with the Canadiens and set career highs in goals (9), assists (17), and points (26).

In 89 AHL games over the course of his career with Laval, the Chicago Wolves, and the Milwaukee Admirals, he has also tallied 33 goals, 35 assists, and 68 points.

The native of Ottawa, Ontario, was first selected by Nashville in the third round (76th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draught. He played two seasons in the United States Hockey League with the Waterloo Black Hawks from 2014–15 and three seasons at the University of Minnesota from 2016–19 before turning professional. From 2011 until 2014, he also attended Shattuck St. Mary’s, which was Sidney Crosby’s alma school.

22-year-old Hamaliuk played six games for the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder during the 2022–23 season, recording four goals, three assists, and seven points overall. With the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL in 2021–22, he had his first professional season, recording three goals, six assists, and nine points in 44 games.

The 6-foot-4, 201-pound forward split five Western Hockey League seasons between the Kelowna Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds between 2016 and 21. In 192 junior games throughout the course of his career, he recorded 48 goals, 62 assists, and 110 points. In 2017, he and the Thunderbirds won the WHL Championship.

The Sharks first selected the Leduc, Alberta native in the second round (55th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draught.