HEATING UP: Karlsson to a Western Conference Stanley Cup contender

Entering the 2022-2023 campaign, Karlsson's contract was qualified as one of the worst. His recent play has increased a value to a point where his massive AAV ($11.5M) is only a detail.

It's been reported that the Edmonton Oilers were looking to improve their defensive core, since Evan Bouchard's play has been so bad that they scratched him in their latest game.

Darren Dreger, broke the news on Insider Trading, that Ken Holland had ongoing conversations with Mike Grier about moving the All-Star defenseman to the Oilers. The main issue at this point remains that Erik Karlsson carries a $11.5M cap hit until 2027 and the Oilers currently have $0 under the cap space.

It's been stated that the Oilers would certainly be open to move support players like Yamamoto, Puljujarvi or even Tyson Barrie, if it meant acquiring Karlsson.

Now if you add an outstanding talent like Karlsson's to the likes of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, would that make them an actual contender?

SOURCE: The Hockey Writers