Toronto. Edmonton. Ottawa. Is Erik Karlsson’s next, and perhaps final career stop, again north of the 49th parallel?

There’s a different wrinkle for each suitor, but undoubtedly some of the most logical fits for the three-time Norris Trophy winner are in the Canadian markets. (You can add Carolina and Florida to that group to round out a top-five, if you so choose.)

Pittsburgh isn’t under the gun to trade Karlsson, but with two years left on the 35-year old’s cap-rich contract and little likelihood of contending in that window, Kyle Dubas is preparing for a future deal. As an organization, the Penguins have been vocal about ensuring they remain competitive in the final years of the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin era, but longer-term, the organization is in desperate need of adding draft picks and prospects alike to return to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.

The 35-year-old version of Karlsson is much like the 22-year-old version; productive and dangerous offensively with impeccable on-ice awareness, coupled with a fleeting and oft-challenged defensive game. Karlsson would need the right structure, defence partner, and deployment insulation to reestablish himself as a difference-maker.

While Karlsson has put some grim defensive play on tape in the last few years with San Jose and Pittsburgh, his........

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