Karlsson first (preseason) goal as a Shark took place in Sunday's 5-2 road loss to the Golden Knights.

EDGE Analysis

Working on the man advantage, Karlsson shifted to the right circle and caught Marc-Andre Fleury out of position for a wide-open look at the cage. Forwards Kevin LaBanc and Timo Meier were the distributors on Karlsson's second-period marker; expect him to form the top pair with two-way defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic and not the shot-happy Brent Burns at the outset of the regular season.

Karlsson will make his Sharks debut in Thursday's preseason matchup with the Flames, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

EDGE Analysis

The two-time Norris Trophy Winner will use Thursday's contest, and perhaps Sunday's game against the Golden Knights, as an opportunity to knock some rust off ahead of the Sharks' Oct. 3 season opener against Anaheim. Karlsson should be considered a top-three fantasy option at his position heading into the 2018-19 campaign.

Karlsson's first practice with the Sharks is scheduled for Wednesday morning, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Team Teal missed out on the John Tavares sweepstakes in free agency, but GM Doug Wilson trading for a two-time Norris Trophy Winner (2012, 2015) in Karlsson is a terrific consolation prize for fans of the Stanley Cup-starved franchise. There's heavy speculation that Karlsson and another elite offensive rearguard, Brent Burns, will be on separate pairings to open the season, but Karlsson's first practice -- or the press conference that follows -- could shed more light on how head coach Peter DeBoer specifically plans to deploy them.

Karlsson is expected to report to Sharks training camp next week, Eric Gilmore of NHL.com reports

EDGE Analysis

According to head coach Pete DeBoer, Karlsson is dealing with work visa issues and has been trying to expedite things as much as possible, having already missed the start of training camp. At this point, the problems appear minor and there's little reason to doubt Karlsson won't be on the ice next week.

Karlsson is a target for a long-term contract by Sharks' management, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

According to the tweet, San Jose General Manager Doug Wilson confirmed in a conference call that the team plans on keeping the star defenseman in teal and black for a while when he said "Yes, it's a long-term approach. We think Erik fits with us now and for a long time."

Karlsson was acquired by San Jose from Ottawa on Thursday -- along with Francis Perron -- in exchange for Chris Tierny, Johs Norries, Rudolfs Balcers, Dylan DeMelo, a 2019 second-round pick and a first-round selection in either 2019 or 2020, Dean Brown of the Senators Radio Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

After missing out on the John Tavares sweepstakes, the Sharks will still in the market for a big addition and will now have a blue line that features two of the best defenseman in the league in Karlsson and Brent Burns.

Trade talks regarding Karlsson have reportedly picked up again, with a Western Conference team the most likely landing spot, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports.

EDGE Analysis

By sending Karlsson to the Western Conference, the Senators would limit the number of times they would have to face the world-class defender. Some reports have suggested that the Sharks are in the mix after missing out on John Tavares, as well as the Golden Knights who were early contenders to snag the Swede -- although that was prior to Vegas' acquisition of Max Pacioretty.

Karlsson was on the ice for an informal skate with the Senators on Tuesday, TSN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hockey pundits abound expected Karlsson to be traded well ahead of training camp, but all signs point to the elite defenseman starting the 2018-19 campaign with Ottawa. The Senators are eager to move past all the drama involving Karlsson, particularly the incident that involved Karlsson's wife filing a protection order against the girlfriend of now ex-teammate Mike Hoffman. We're guessing Karlsson is also looking forward to a clean slate after he posted 62 points and a minus-25 rating with the Senators last season, representing his worst single-season output since 2012-13, when he was limited to 17 games due to a torn Achilles tendon.

Karlsson denied reports that he would refuse to sign a long-term deal with a Canadian team, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

EDGE Analysis

With trade rumors once again swirling around Karlsson, any indication that a move to one of the six other Canadian franchises likely would only serve to depress the blueliner's trade value. Vancouver general manager Jim Benning disputed claims that Vancouver was looking into acquiring the Swede, which likely leaves Tampa Bay as the front runners to acquire his services -- assuming the Senators decide to part ways with Karlsson before the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

Canucks GM Jim Benning has refuted rumors that his team is in the mix to acquire Karlsson, John Shannon of Sportsnet reports.

EDGE Analysis

There has been a lot of smoke and mirrors concerning where Karlsson might end up ahead of the 2018-19 season. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported early Wednesday that "there's a sense" that trade talks involving Karlsson -- specifically among Western Conference teams -- have intensified lately, and Vancouver was initially mentioned as one of the teams to have inquired about the stud defenseman. It probably wouldn't hurt any club to at least see exactly what it would take to obtain him, but a blueliner with 518 points (126 goals, 392 assists) through 627 career contests is obviously going to command a huge return -- including around $11 million AAV on his next contract -- and swinging such a deal promises to be a complex matter.