Erik Karlsson's trade fate with the Detroit Red Wings was just confirmed as a move is announced

For months, the Red Wings and Penguins had been linked in speculation, with Karlsson's name at the center.

Pittsburgh has been shopping the star defenseman as one of their biggest trade assets, and Detroit seemed like a natural match.

They had both the cap flexibility and the desire to strengthen their top four, making them one of the teams insiders circled as a possible destination.

On August 15th, the Detroit Red Wings announced that they had signed 35-year-old defenseman Travis Hamonic to a one-year, $1 million deal.

He won't be a game-changing addition in Detroit like Karlsson would have been, but for the time being, it makes sense.

Hamonic addresses the immediate need without locking Detroit into a massive long-term commitment.

Yzerman seems to be keeping his assets in hand, waiting for a player who better fits the team's long-term timeline.

The Red Wings' new acquisition scored seven points in 59 games with the Ottawa Senators last season. In 900 career games, he tallied 242 points, including 53 goals.

As for Karlsson, he tallied 53 points in 82 games last season in Pittsburgh. He scored 870 points, including 200 goals, in 1,084 games in his career.

Although it's safe to say he won't join the Wings, his situation in Pittsburgh will be very interesting to follow until the trade deadline.

If the team is in a position to compete for a playoff spot after the Olympic break, Dubas could decide to keep everyone on board to give Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and the others a chance to bring the Cup back to Pittsburgh.