Erik Karlsson Trade Breakdown

Erik Karlsson Trade Breakdown. Kyle Dubas, Kents Hughes and Mike Grier came together to make one of the biggest trades in the NHL’s salary cap era.

Pittsburgh acquires defenseman Erik Karlsson, forward Rem Pitlick, forward Dillon Hamaliuk and San Jose’s 2026 third-round draft pick.

San Jose acquires Pittsburgh’s 2024 first-round draft pick (top-10 protected), forward Mikael Granlund, defenseman Jan Rutta and forward Mike Hoffman.

Montreal acquires Pittsburgh’s 2025 second-round draft pick, defenseman Jeff Petry, goaltender Casey DeSmith and forward Nathan Legare.

Erik Karlsson was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday in a three-team deal involving the San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens.

The 33-year-old defenseman had 101 points (25 goals, 76 assists) in 82 games with the Sharks last season, becoming the sixth defenseman in NHL history to reach 100 points in a season, and the first since Brian Leetch had 102 for the Rangers in 1991-92. Karlsson has four seasons remaining on an eight-year contract ($11.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Sharks on June 17, 2019; San Jose will retain $1.5 million of his salary annually.

Karlsson had previously said he wanted to be traded to a Stanley Cup contender. Although Pittsburgh was 40-31-11 last season and missed the playoffs, they had qualified each of the previous 16 seasons, which was the longest streak in the NHL.

San Jose received forwards Mikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman, defenseman Jan Rutta and a conditional first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft in the trade.

Granlund had 42 points (10 goals, 31 assists) in 79 games with the Penguins and Nashville Predators last season, including five points (one goal, four assists) in 21 games after he was acquired by Pittsburgh in a trade on March 1.

The 31-year-old, who has 484 points (145 goals, 339 assists) in 750 regular-season games for the Penguins, Predators and Minnesota Wild, has two seasons remaining on a four-year contract ($5 million AAV) he signed with the Predators on July 28, 2021.

Hoffman had 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 67 games with Montreal last season. The 33-year-old has 464 points (218 goals, 246 assists) in 679 regular-season games for the Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers and Senators and is a six-time 20-goal scorer. He has one season remaining on a three-year contract ($4.5 million AAV) he signed with the Canadiens on July 28, 2021.

Rutta, 33, had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 56 games for the Penguins last season and has 70 points (15 goals, 55 assists in 294 regular-season games for the Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks. He has two seasons remaining on a three-year contract ($2.75 million AAV) he signed with the Penguins on July 13, 2022.

San Jose (22-44-16) finished 29th in the NHL standings last season and has not qualified for the postseason since 2019.

Pittsburgh also received forward Rem Pitlick, forward prospect Dillon Hamaliuk and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Pitlick, 26, had 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 46 games with the Canadiens last season and has 54 points (21 goals, 33 assists) in 123 regular-season games for the Canadiens and Predators. He is entering the final season of a two-year contract ($1.1 million AAV) he signed with the Canadiens on July 16, 2022.

Hamaliuk, 22, was a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Sharks and has yet to make his NHL debut.

Montreal received defenseman Jeff Petry, goalie Casey DeSmith, forward prospect Nathan Legare and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, all from Pittsburgh.

Petry had 27 points (six goals, 21 assists) in 68 games for the Penguins last season, his first with the team after being acquired in a trade with the Canadiens on July 16, 2022. The 35-year-old, who played with Montreal from 2014-21, has two seasons remaining on a four-year contract ($6.25 million average annual value) he signed with the Canadiens on Sept. 25, 2020. The Penguins will pay 25 percent of the remaining salary.

Petry has 353 points (92 goals, 261 assists) in 864 regular-season games for the Penguins, Canadiens and Oilers.

DeSmith was 15-16-4 with a 3.17 goals-against average and .905 save percentage playing an NHL career-high 38 games (33 starts) for Pittsburgh last season. Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2017, the 31-year-old is 58-44-15 with a 2.81 GAA, .912 save percentage and nine shutouts in 134 regular-season games (115 starts). He has one season remaining on a two-year contract ($1.8 million AAV) he signed with the Penguins on July 5, 2022.

The Canadiens also received 22-year-old forward prospect Nathan Legare, who has yet to make his NHL debut and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

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