It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, that further complicates already complicated situation, especially as it relates to doing a deal by Monday’s 3 pm ET deadline. The Ryan Factor would either take out a team like TB or require getting a 3rd team involved. Not easy.

My sense is that OTT trade talks with more than one team are progressing from conceptual/theoretical to actually talking about some of the specific pieces that could be included were a deal to be done. And, of course, there’s the Bobby Ryan factor.

As I’ve said from the outset, I still think it’s less likely than more likely that EK is traded by Monday’s deadline but, at this point anyway, the door is by no means entirely closed on trading him by Monday. GM Pierre Dorion and his staff are fully engaged in the process.

The forecast of what’s most likely to happen in the relative short term, IMO, would rank as follows: 1. Karlsson not traded now, but more likely in the summer. 2. Karlsson traded by Monday with Bobby Ryan in the deal. 3. Karlsson traded by Monday but no Bobby Ryan in deal.

Some cynics might suggest this is all a lot of talk about something that is less likely than more likely to happen. Fair enough, as long as you conveniently ignore the following: