"People getting Penguin'd on this one" - Fans react to viral report making major claim about Erik Karlsson's trade to Penguins

Erik Karlsson has been the talk of the NHL Free Agency town since July 1. He has been linked to multiple teams, including Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs.

A Twitter parody account in Elliotte Friedman's name reported that the 2023 Norris Trophy winner will not be moving to Pittsburgh Penguins as trade talks have fallen through.

NHL fans did not fall for this and had some hilarious reactions:

Who can be Erik Karlsson's backup for the Pittsburgh Penguins?

President of Hockey Operations, Kyle Dubas is probably on the phone to get this done deal but has to be prepared for the weorst-case scenario. Irrespective of the troll tweet, Chicago Blackhawks' Seth Jones might actually be a good backup to have if the Karlsson trade talks fall through.

Jones does not have Norris Trophy-like numbers but is still a very solid defenseman to have on your team. The fourth pick in the 2013 NHL draft played in 72 games this past season and had 37 points from 12 goals and 25 assists.

Jones signed an eight-year, $76 million contract in 2021 with the Chicago Blackhawks. He has a salary cap hit of $9.5 million for the 2023-24 season, $2 million cheaper than Karlsson. It could be a great move for the Pens who can sign one or two rotational players with the money they save.

Elliotte Friedman had earlier reported that a trade to Pittsburgh is harder because of the Penguins' cap space. With this confirmation, the Carolina Hurricanes seem to be the only legitimate contenders left to land Erik Karlsson.

Nick Gismondi had highlighted the Hurricanes have been one of the busiest teams this offseason, and he posed the question of what moves they might make next. Pagnotta responded, shedding light on the Hurricanes' pursuit of Vladimir Tarasenko and their continued interest in Erik Karlsson.

The San Jose Sharks are willing to retain a portion of Karlsson's salary. Friedman reports that they may retain 40% of his salary, effectively making him a $4 million per year player for the duration of his contract. This financial flexibility could help facilitate a trade, but this is yet to materialize.

Erik Karlsson is the perfect defenseman in today's NHL

He led the league among defensemen in defensive zone carry-outs, loose puck recoveries and stretch passes. His impact in driving his team's forward momentum cannot be underestimated.

Impressively, Karlsson's presence on the ice accounts for a remarkable 65% of the Sharks' goals in the season. Although his plus-minus rating of -26 may seem discouraging, it is undeniable that the Sharks would have faced even greater struggles without his offensive contributions.