MONTREAL _ Erik Karlsson is going to be hard to keep in San Jose, adding to the pressure that the Sharks are under this season to finally bring the Stanley Cup to Silicon Valley.
When Doug Wilson brought Karlsson to San Jose on the eve of training camp, conventional wisdom suggested it would give the Sharks the inside lane in the race to sign the two-time Norris Trophy winner this offseason. NHL players that move to California tend to want to stay in California. But Karlsson isn't a conventional player, so conventional wisdom doesn't necessarily apply here.
After John Tavares chose Toronto over San Jose last summer despite what he called an "impressive" pitch from management, Wilson made an aggressive play to court the next difference-maker on his wishlist. By trading for Karlsson, Wilson is giving himself a full winter to sell the 28-year-old Swede on all the benefits of being a Shark instead of trying to make his case in a single meeting in Los Angeles.
Usually, just getting a player out to Northern California is enough to set the hook.
Joe Thornton came to San Jose 13 years ago and he's taken several hometown discounts to stay. Brent Burns didn't hesitate to make San Jose his long-term home either after he came over in a trade from Minnesota in 2011. Likewise, Evander Kane decided to stick around this year, opting to re-sign with the Sharks in May instead of testing the open market after he joined the team in a deal at the trade deadline.
But the Sharks will be confronting a unique set of circumstances when they enter into negotiations with Karlsson.
The big difference here is that Karlsson has already fallen in love. His heart belongs to Ottawa as he expressed in a teary-eyed press conference in which he called the Canadian capitol his "forever city." Karlsson believed that he and the Senators would ultimately figure out a way to make things work and when they didn't he was genuinely shocked.
Having gone through this unexpected divorce, Karlsson might want to give himself a wide-open canvass when he's making a decision on what city to commit to for the next eight years. Why narrow his choices without testing the market?
The whispers out of Ottawa last week were that Karlsson was intrigued by the idea of getting traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning last winter. Victor Hedman is one of Karlsson's best friends, you'll recall they dressed up like pirates together at the All-Star Game last year, and he likes the Lightning's fast up-tempo style of play.
Karlsson is also a big fan of New York City. He could be enticed to play at Madison Square Garden with the New York Rangers. They should have the cap space to make an offer.
Remember, Karlsson is going through a lot this year. He and his wife lost a child, their first, at birth in March. His wife was then accused on Instagram of abusing prescription drugs, resulting in legal proceedings in which the Karlssons allege they were cyber-bullied by the fiance of former Senators teammate, Mike Hoffman. Then, he got traded while the wounds were still fresh, carrying all that baggage with him to San Jose. Would anyone blame him if he wants a fresh start in a new city on his own terms?
The drama on the ice could nudge him in the direction of pursuing unrestricted free agency, as well. With 13 wins and 15 losses, the Sharks are the most scrutinized team in the NHL right now. They just traveled through Eastern Canada facing questions on every stop about why they can't figure it out with Karlsson.
Instead of tearing up a weak Pacific Division, the Sharks are clinging to a playoff spot by their fingernails, struggling to adapt to a new aggressive style of play centered around Karlsson's ability to push the play from the backend. Now, the fan base is hot, head coach Pete DeBoer is under fire and Wilson held a meeting with the team Sunday morning, likely relaying the message that if things don't change quickly there's going to be a shakeup. This can't be a whole lot of fun to be part of right now.
If the Sharks fall short of reaching the Western Conference Final, the season and the trade will be considered busts, giving Karlsson another reason to leave San Jose behind and start over somewhere else.
Right now, the Sharks best chance of convincing him to stay is by turning things around and playing like the superpower that pundits expected them to be in September. Winning cures everything. If the Sharks go on a run, win the Stanley Cup or come close, that tension in the dressing room can be converted into good feelings quickly. It could make Karlsson want to stay in San Jose and be part of the culture established by Thornton, Burns, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
But the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy in all of sports to win, which means that locking down Karlsson on a long-term basis will be an equally-challenging task.
Sharks fans should start warming up to the idea that Karlsson might end up being the one that got away.
