Toronto's answer to losing Werenski might be an even bigger name next summer

Erik Karlsson would make for an interesting Morgan Rielly replacement and if they can make the money work, it could be their best chance at competing.

For 17 years, the NHL has been graced with the presence of Erik Karlsson. One of the greatest offensive defencemen we've seen in the history of the game, his ability to not only lead the offence but do so in such a dominant fashion even into his later years is something to be admired.

Not everyone can hit 66 points at 35 years old especially as a defender and he's shown no signs of slowing down.

But he is coming towards the end of his current contract and though the Penguins are going to try and remain competitive so long as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are in town, they may not be able to afford a new contract for Karlsson especially if he wants to compete and feels like Pittsburgh is a little further away than he wants.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Erik Karlsson make a great pairing especially after losing out on Werenski

If that is the case then he could be looking for a new destination to play once his contract is up, but there's no doubt going to be teams who are going to try and get their hands on him before that and hopefully use his vast experience and skillset to push themselves over the top.

One team who could use Karlsson is the Toronto Maple Leafs, and while the two have been linked in the past, there hasn't been much discussion or chatter since. That should change however especially after the team struck out and lost out on a chance to add Zach Werenski.

Since Toronto can't get the most recent Norris Trophy winner, why not shift gears to a guy who's won it three times; most recently in 2022-23 when he was 32 years old? Since dealing with injuries in the late 2010's, Karlsson has been one of the most durable and reliable defenders in the entire league and you're not going to lose anything in bringing him in.

He makes more money than Morgan Rielly sure, but you're getting Erik Karlsson; it's like comparing a Smart Car to a Lamborghini. Karlsson can add boundless mentorship to everyone in the lineup, while also providing top-tier offensive numbers while still being a better defender than Rielly.

Karlsson's going to want a huge increase next summer and Toronto has to prepare accordingly

But here comes the issue. Karlsson is making $11.5-million and unless he falls off a cliff completely he's going to get at least that much or potentially more come free agency. If Toronto wants to extend him they are going to have a lot of money tied up in two defenders who are over 30; running into the same issue with Rielly they have now.

So if he has a great season then it's going to make it harder to keep him so the hope then is that he does more than enough to help get Toronto into the Stanley Cup and go from there, but he could be a central reason why they made it so is it then worth bringing him back for round two?

It also may not cost you as much to acquire him as it would Werenski so there's a possibility the team can keep their core forward group intact while also adding a top-tier defenceman, but you're still giving up future pieces for a 36-year-old.

With Auston Matthews' contract also looming in the distance, as well as a potential Connor McDavid pursuit, the team is going to have to decide whether or not it's worth the price - and with Leo Carlsson setting the new standard it's going to be even tougher.

So Erik Karlsson as a Maple Leaf would be a huge asset that comes at unequally high cost and John Chayka really needs to hope the pros outweigh the cons if he does end up pursuing Karlsson this summer.

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The Werenski to Toronto trade came down to one question about Matthew Knies