Senators Trade Erik Karlsson to Sharks

The San Jose Sharks announced they acquired  Erik Karlsson and Francis Perron from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Chris Tierney, Dylan DeMelo, Rudolfs Balcers, Josh Norris, a  2019 second-round pick, a 2020 first-round pick, and two more conditional draft picks.

Karlsson is the obvious centrepiece in this deal, but here’s what we know about the other pieces involved in the trade:

The Players

Perron (left wing) is a former 7th-round pick, selected 190th overall by the Senators in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He had 108 points (41 goals, 67 assists) in his final year in the QMJHL in 2015-16 but has just 41 points in 112 AHL games.

Tierney was drafted in the 2nd round, 55th overall by the Sharks in the 2012 NHL entry draft. He has 104 points in 284 NHL games. He scored 17 goals and added 23 assists for the Sharks last season.

Demelo is a former sixth-round pick of the Sharks, selected 179th overall in the 2011 NHL entry draft. He played three seasons with the Worcester Sharks of the AHL before making his NHL debut in 2015-16. Since then, he’s served as the seventh defenseman for the Sharks, accumulating three goals and 29 assists in 133 career games.

Balcers (left wing) was selected 142nd overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Sharks. The Latvian native played two seasons in Norway before playing one season in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers. He impressed in his first season with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate last year, registering 23 goals and 25 assists in 67 games.

Norris (centre) is the most notable prospect in this trade. He’s a former first-round pick, having been selected 19th overall by the Sharks in 2017. He spent two years in the USHL before committing to the Michigan Wolverines for the 2017-18 season. He scored eight goals and added 15 assists in 37 games for Michigan last year.

The Picks

The first conditional pick is no doubt a direct result from Sharks’ GM Doug Wilson flipping Mike Hoffman to the Panthers earlier this off-season. If Karlsson plays at all for an Eastern Conference team in 2018-19, San Jose will send an additional first-round pick to Ottawa by 2022.

The second conditional pick will be a 2021 second-rounder if the Sharks sign Karlsson to a contract extension. That pick could upgrade to an unprotected first-rounder if San Jose makes the Stanley Cup Finals this year.