Rumors began to swirl that the trade would be imminent when the captain hadn’t been seen by noon ET at the facility. Karlsson did show up around 12:15 p.m. and media was informed he would speak around 1 p.m. That never materialized, and less than two hours later the two-time Norris Trophy winner was shipped to San Jose.
MORE: Ranking the 15 best NHL stars traded in their prime
Just days after owner Eugene Melnyk said the team was going to rebuild with rookies and second-year players, they acquired a bunch of picks and four players under the age of 25.
The hockey community took to Twitter to react — and celebrate the end of the NHL’s most exhausting storyline:
