As the Penguins continue to fade away in the Eastern Conference, general manager Kyle Dubas could be open to trading Erik Karlsson.

With their fourth straight loss on Tuesday in the form of a 6-1 dud to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins are just two points out of the basement of the Eastern Conference.

Here are the obstacles to trading Karlsson: • He has a no-movement clause. Though many assume he would be willing to move on if asked, he still has the power here. The team hasn’t played well during his time in Pittsburgh, but he seems to genuinely like playing for the Penguins.

Karlsson, 34, carries a $10 million cap hit for two more seasons after this one, with the San Jose Sharks already retaining $1.5 million of his total $11.5 million salary. He's in the sixth season of the eight-year, $92 million contract he signed in 2019.

Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours! We are less than two weeks away from the 2025 Trade Deadline. As a result, more rumours are starting to surface as teams start to determine their strategies.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly willing to trade Erik Karlsson ahead of the NHL trade deadline, with general manager Kyle Dubas open to making a deal “in a heartbeat,” according to The Athletic’s Josh Yohe.

When the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Erik Karlsson ahead of the 2023-24 season, it seemed like he would be a key piece of an organization looking for one more Stanley Cup run as multiple franchise players near retirement.