You might be able to count the Vancouver Canucks out of the Erik Karlsson trade talks.
NBC Sports’ Kathryn Tappen reported on Thursday that Karlsson will only sign with an American team, not a Canadian one.
Sources say star defenseman Erik Karlsson is not willing to sign with a Canadian team. He wants to play in a U.S. market. #NHLRumors
— Kathryn Tappen (@KathrynTappen) August 23, 2018
Karlsson has been on the trade market all offseason. The Ottawa Senators reportedly offered him an 8-year, $80 million contract extension this summer that he rejected. That led them to open up talks with other teams.
Elliotte Friedman reported on Wednesday that trade talks surrounding Karlsson had picked up and that the sense was he would likely end up with a Western Conference team, possibly the Canucks.
There is a sense today that Erik Karlsson trade talks have picked up in the last few days. Most likely destinations appear to be Western Conference. There is also a belief VAN has stepped in to see if it is a match.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 22, 2018
The 28-year-old defenseman is under contract for the upcoming season at $7.5 million. If the rumor about his desire to play with an American club is true, then that might limit the Canucks’ willingness to trade for him since he would just be a one-year rental.
