There's no denying that Erik Karlsson is one of the greatest Ottawa Senators in franchise history. In his Senators tenure, Karlsson won the Norris Trophy two times and served as captain.
In 2018, Karlsson's Senators tenure ended when was traded to the San Jose Sharks. Then in 2023, the Sharks traded Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins after winning his third career Norris Trophy.
With the Penguins in a tough position as a franchise with aging superstars, rumors of Karlsson being traded picked up during the Summer. One potential destination some thought were the Senators. However, a new recent trade has Karlsson returning to the Atlantic Division, but not with Ottawa.
Karlsson predicted to be traded to Motown
Today, Bleacher Report's Sara Civian wrote an article titled "6 Bold Trade Predictions Ahead of the 2025-26 Season." One of the trades Civian made was that Karlsson would be traded to the Detroit Red Wings.
"The Red Wings could use some more oomph on the blue line beyond their first pairing, they have shown a penchant for older guys and there's only two more seasons left on his contract," Civian said about Karlsson.
While the Senators did make the 2025 playoffs, the Atlantic Division was a tough one last season. Five of the eight teams in the division made the 2025 playoffs. One team that just missed out was the Red Wings.
Last season, the Red Wings missed out on the playoffs by five points to the Montreal Canadiens. This off-season, the Red Wings made a bold trade to acquire veteran goaltender John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks. Adding Gibson can get the Red Wings in 2026 playoff conversations, and adding Karlsson could do the same.
Even at 35 years old, Karlsson is still a solid defenseman. Karlsson produced a 53-point season last year in Pittsburgh, but his high contract of an $11.5 million cap hit could be a risk to take on. If Detroit was to add Karlsson, they would get an important defenseman who can produce high offense and provide veteran leadership.
Karlsson to Detroit would also make the division tougher for the Senators. Last season, all four games between the Senators and Red Wings were decided by one goal, but the Senators were able to earn seven of the eight possible points in the season series.
Karlsson will be a name to keep an eye on as the 2025-26 season under one month away from starting. Even with a new season on the horizon, Karlsson still finds his name to be in potential trade packages and bold predictions before the season starts.