There is less than one week until the 2025 NHL trade deadline, after which rosters are set for the great chase of the Stanley Cup. When the final buzzer sounds at 3 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson's performance for Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off prompted some observers to suggest rival clubs might look at him more closely in the NHL trade market.

Here are the obstacles to trading Karlsson: • He has a no-movement clause. Though many assume he would be willing to move on if asked, he still has the power here. The team hasn’t played well during his time in Pittsburgh, but he seems to genuinely like playing for the Penguins.

Darren Dreger: The Utah Hockey Club and goaltender Karel Vejmelka continue to have contract talks. There are a lot of comps now for Vejmlka. Depending on how those talks progress, he could be an interesting name to watch ahead of the deadline.

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It appears that the Penguins' Erik Karlsson sweepstakes may be down to five front-runner teams, per reports coming out from Bleacher Report. The Penguins won't be trumpeting it openly, but plainly ...

According to The Athletic's Josh Yohe, a team source believes Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas would trade Karlsson "in a heartbeat" if he could. Yohe also reported that an Eastern Conference ...

Amid ongoing speculation surrounding some of the Pittsburgh Penguins stars, the franchise would be willing to trade Erik Karlsson at the deadline if they could meet three critical conditions ...

Sporstnet's Elliotte Friedman came up with a "theory" and speculated that Karlsson could be an ideal fit for the Stars during Monday's episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, just hours before The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported Pittsburgh's willingness to trade him.

While it will be tough to do at the NHL Trade Deadline, it does not mean GM Kyle Dubas is not open to moving the defenseman. Pittsburgh may not recoup the assets they gave up for him, but Karlsson still has value, especially paired with the right player.