SAN JOSE, Calif. — And so ends the Erik Karlsson era in San Jose.
The 33-year-old was sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday in a three-team trade that included the Montreal Canadiens.
While he is coming off Norris Trophy win, voted as the best defensemen in the NHL for the third time in his career, his tenure with the Sharks wasn't as envisioned.
As JD Young of Locked on Sharks points out, Karlsson played at a high level for much of time in San Jose, ranking fifth among all defenseman in points per game over the past five seasons.
The Sharks, however, struggled to build around him, especially with the $11.5-million per season contract they rightfully gave one of this generation's best players.
"I hope fans realize how special of a player Erik Karlsson was, especially this last season," Young says. "The Sharks were abysmal most nights, but Karlsson gave you a reason to watch because you never knew when he was going to do something special like becoming the first Sharks defenseman to record a hat trick."
Young adds many fans will always have a polarizing view of Karlsson and a "yeah, but" attitude toward him despite his production. The reality is Karlsson's prime years simply didn't match up with where the Sharks were in their trajectory.
Young also took a look back at the original trade that brought him to the San Jose Sharks and the decisions surrounding circumstances that led to the original trade pieces.
That included the Evander Kane trade and re-signing, and how the pursuit of John Tavares in the summer of 2018 eventually compelled the Sharks to acquire Karlsson and reward him with a new contract.
Despite playing only 293 games with the Sharks, Karlsson ranks fourth in scoring among defensemen in team history, behind Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Dan Boyle.