On September 13th the San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Erik Karlsson from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for first-round pick in 2019 or 2020, a second-round pick in 2019, forwards Chris Tierney, Josh Norris and Rudolfs Balcers, defenseman Dylan DeMelo and two conditional draft picks. The Sharks also get forward Francis Perron in the deal.
Adding Karlsson to a roster that already features Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Brent Burns and Martin Jones makes the Sharks a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and one of the favorites in the west.
The trade will also boast Karlsson’s fantasy value. He was already a top five scoring defenseman from a fantasy standpoint and now he goes to a team that is loaded with offensive talent. Karlsson may not score as many goals but his assist totals will go up.
Some have speculated that Karlsson’s offensive numbers will take a hit because he will be playing alongside Brent Burns. That will not be the case. P.K Subban’s numbers were not affected after he was traded to Nashville and he plays on the deepest defensive team in the league. Karlsson’s Numbers will go up simply because he is on a better team.
Karlsson’s average ADP going into last season was 11 and his defenseman ADP was 2. I would not be surprised if he is the first defenseman drafted in most leagues heading into this season. Provided he stays healthy, he is a lock for 70 to 75 points.