3 Trades That Could Land the Toronto Maple Leafs Erik Karlsson

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Erik Karlsson – Trade 3

At this point, it’s very clear that I think Nylander is the most likely Maple Leafs player to be traded for Karlsson, but for this trade, we will leave Nylander alone.

For this one, we will assume that Marner is willing to waive his no-trade clause. That will land the winger in San Jose.

This is a trade that both clubs could agree making player-for-player. There are risks for both franchises in such an exchange. The biggest of which is the possibility of Marner walking away from the Sharks once his deal expires at the end of next season.

If that were to happen, Marner would still have played two seasons in San Jose. That isn’t considered a short term anymore.

Two years is more than enough time for the Markham, Ontario native to enjoy playing in California and choose to remain with the Sharks.

So, why would Marner waive his no-trade to go to San Jose? If a trade were to happen, there’s a great possibility that once Marner’s current contract comes to an end, he makes more money on the extension with the Sharks than with the Maple Leafs.

This can happen because with Karlsson off the books, Tomas Hertl becomes the Sharks highest paid played, carrying an AAV of $8.1375M. This gives San Jose far more cap space than Toronto will have once Marner’s contract expires.

While the Leafs would prefer to keep both Nylander and Marner and add still add Karlsson, that’s just not going to work. To see the three-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner in Toronto, it will almost certainly mean Nylander is heading west to join his new team.