I still don't understand how Karlsson would make us better in the ways that we need to get better. As a replacement for Pesce or Skjei he clearly makes us worse defensively. And if TDA is around and going to play AND Karlsson is here, then we really are opening up a giant hole in what was one of the best blueline defenses in the NHL over the past 3 years.
Would having Karlsson in our lineup improve our goal scoring so significantly that we could 'make do' with the forwards we currently have? Is our management thinking with Karlsson and TDA we would own possession and improve goal scoring so much that we could risk being worse defensively?
For me it impossible to answer that question. That being the case, I cringe at the assets we would have to trade away to acquire Karlsson. Retention obviously would be a big requirement, but if the Canes really think that Karlsson would somehow unlock a whole bunch of offense out of the crew we have now, anything $7.5 million or below on an AAV could be justified. I don't see it, I don't trust it, I would be nervous as heck that we just acquire and aging asset that just had the last big production season he will have.
That is all just thinking about the impact to the results on the ice. Erik Karlsson is an NHL superstar, the level of which we don't currently have. From a BUSINESS side, having Karlsson on the Canes would be a major marketing coup.