Erik Karlsson confirms he has spoken with Maple Leafs about possible trade

The Toronto Maple Leafs have discussed the possibility of acquiring Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks.

Karlsson himself confirmed this in a recent interview with Swedish outlet Expressen. The 33-year-old admitted that several teams, including the Leafs, have shown interest in acquiring him.

“I have spoken with Seattle, yes, also some with Toronto. There have been a few more teams as well,” Karlsson said in Swedish (translated with Google Translate).

Karlsson also expressed that while he loves playing in San Jose, he would like a trade in order to play for a competitive team at this stage in his career.

“No, I am not,” Karlsson responded when asked if he would be okay remaining with the Sharks. “I like San Jose, and I like it there, but I’ve never been able to win before. I want that chance now that I’m at the end of my career. I have been open about that with Mike [Grier] from the first day he started. He hasn’t had any problems with it. We understand each other, and we will do so regardless of what happens in the future.”

While it appears the Leafs certainly did express interest, one has to wonder if that came months ago. With the signing of John Klingberg, it wouldn’t make much sense to add Karlsson as well. On top of that, the Leafs are already in trouble salary cap-wise, making a trade for Karlsson a near impossibility.

Despite winning the Norris Trophy this past season thanks to his 101-point year, Karlsson is a difficult player for the Sharks to trade due to his $11.5 million cap hit. Grier will undoubtedly have to retain some of that salary, but even with that, the 33-year-old is a risky player to trade for, given his injury concerns in years past.

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