Penguins Acquire Erik Karlsson in Blockbuster Three-Team Trade

The defenseman had a career high in points last season.

The Penguins made a big trade on Sunday, acquiring the reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson from the Sharks, Pittsburgh announced. In the three-team deal that also included the Canadiens, Pittsburgh also received Rem Pitlick, Dillon Hamaliuk and a 2026 third-round pick.

In exchange, the Sharks received Mikael Granlund, Jan Rutta, Mike Hoffman and the Penguins’ first-round pick next year, while the Canadiens got a second-round pick in 2025 from Pittsburgh along with Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith and Nathan Legare.

Karlsson is coming off an incredible season for San Jose, totaling a career-high 101 points in 82 games, the first time he didn’t miss a game since 2015-16. The production was strong enough to win his third Norris Trophy for best defenseman in the league.

WE HAVE BIG TRADE NEWS TO ANNOUNCE 🚨

The Penguins have acquired defenseman Erik Karlsson, forward Rem Pitlick, forward Dillon Hamaliuk and a 2026 third-round draft pick in a three-team trade involving the San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens.

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) August 6, 2023

Despite Karlsson’s performance, San Jose had just 60 points on the season, which was fourth worst in the league. As a result, Karlsson requested a trade from the team to an organization closer to winning a title.

The trade is the first big move for Kyle Dubas, who took over as president and general manager for the Penguins this summer following six years as general manager of the Maple Leafs. Pittsburgh is trying to maximize the last years of Sidney Crosby’s and Evgeni Malkin’s careers, as they missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006.