Chicago Blackhawks
Why they make sense: The Chicago Blackhawks desperately need to rebuild their blueline. Duncan Keith is getting older by the second and Brent Seabrook is already a buyout candidate. Connor Murphy has been impressive but has yet to gain the trust of head coach Joel Quenneville. Karlsson would give them some energy and more elite talent, which is precisely what they need moving forward.
Feasible trade: It’s fair to question if one exists. Why? Because the Blackhawks are in salary cap purgatory for a bit. Acquiring Karlsson would force them to take on a huge extension that’s likely going to wind up with an annual cap hit with eight digits before the decimal point.
So let’s get creative. First of all, Seabrook would have to waive his no-movement clause. He goes to some other team, probably the Coyotes. That’s probably going to take a first-round pick and a top prospect.
Now, to get Karlsson, Chicago could give up Brandon Saad and another first-round pick. This is an addition to yet another top prospect! Would it be worth it? Honestly, that’s debatable.
Why it won’t happen: The Blackhawks are wisely going through a bit of a rebuild. They need their draft picks, so surrendering them, even for someone like Karlsson, makes very little sense.