The Carolina Hurricanes tried hard to acquire Erik Karlsson back in 2023, but the San Jose Sharks ultimately dealt him to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fast forward three years, and the defending Stanley Cup champions are still interested in the star defenseman, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Thursday.

“The Penguins are gonna be sellers, he’s got a full, no-move clause, so all roads lead through Karlsson and his agent,” LeBrun said. “My understanding is that his camp will convene with Kyle Dubas, the GM of the Penguins in the new year and figure out a pathway to where this is headed but one team to keep an eye on is the Carolina Hurricanes.

“They were the runners-up for Karlsson back in the summer of 23… had a ton of interest in him. I’m told they still do, and why wouldn’t they? They tried to sign John Carlson on July 1, Tampa swooped in and got him instead.”

LeBrun pointed to the Carlson pursuit as a sign that Carolina could still be looking to add an offensive defenseman.

“I expect the Hurricanes to be bidders if and when the Penguins open up.”

If Karlsson is willing to waive his no-movement clause, he could certainly choose a worse spot than Raleigh. The Hurricanes are the defending champions and lead the Presidents' Trophy race at 15-3-2 after beating the Seattle Kraken 4-1 at the NHL Global Series in Finland on Thursday.

It's a very different story for the Penguins, who are 7-10-2 and at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They're tracking toward being sellers ahead of the March 1 NHL Trade Deadline.

Karlsson is in the final season of an eight-year, $92 million contract he signed with the Sharks. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

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The 36-year-old remains elite, leading Pittsburgh with 19 points in 19 games in 2026-27. He's one of the most accomplished defensemen of his generation, with three Norris Trophies to his name.

All he's missing is a Stanley Cup, and Carolina could be his best chance to complete the trophy case. Karlsson carries a $10 million cap hit, while Carolina has approximately $8.6 million in cap space, per PuckPedia.

It'll be interesting to see if Dubas gets an offer from the Hurricanes — and whether Karlsson is willing to move from Pennsylvania to North Carolina.