Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson is a little more than a week away from getting the opportunity to talk to all 31 NHL teams, when the interview period for free agents opens June 23.



But the Sharks are hoping it doesn’t come to that. It appears they are fully committed to making sure Karlsson spends more than one season in San Jose.



The Sharks and Karlsson continue to work at a contract extension, according to a league source. The belief is that the Sharks are prepared to offer the two-time Norris Trophy winner an eight-year contract somewhere in the vicinity of the eight-year, $88 million contract that Kings defenseman Drew Doughty signed last summer.



The Sharks are the only team that can offer Karlsson eight years. After July 1 and the start of the free-agency signing period, the maximum term Karlsson could sign with any team is for seven years.



It’s possible that the market for the 29-year-old Karlsson has cooled a bit since the...