San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier mentioned that some players, including defenseman Erik Karlsson, could change addresses this summer. In an interview with Curtis Pashelka, Grier mentioned the possibility of trading his defenseman: <q><i>If there's interest in him, we'll listen and see if it makes sense and if something does come up. we'll take it to Erik.</i></q> Although the Swede is coming off a career-best season with an impressive 101 points in 82 games, his $11.5 million contract through 2026-2027 is likely to set many general managers back. However, the possibility of acquiring young players or draft picks could well convince Mike Grier to retain part of his salary. In the midst of a rebuild, the Sharks need to replenish their prospect bank and shed their big contracts in order to attract free agents. Trading Erik Karlsson could very well be the solution to this problem. San Jose's GM has also indicated that they want to move forward with a new goaltending duo next year. James Reimer's contract is up this season and there is no doubt that the 35-year-old goalie is no longer in the team's plans. Finally, the chances of seeing Kevin Labanc with the Sharks in 2023-2024 are slim. The main interested party was very clear when asked about his future with the American team: <q><i>I don't know what's gonna happen, trades happen around the draft. So we'll see where things go. if I do get traded then it's been great in San Jose, but we'll see. right now, I don't have any plans for that.</i></q> Sources:<a href='https://nhlrumors.com/nhl-rumors-san-jose-sharks-buyouts-goaltending-kevin-labanc-and-erik-karlsson/2023/04/21/' class='link_marker' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>NHLRumors.com</a>