The Erik Karlsson experiment has not worked for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
General manager Kyle Dubas attempted to go all-in for one last push upon taking the job, but the team ultimately showed him they just didn’t have that in them.
Since then, Dubas has shifted his philosophy to rebuilding the Penguins, looking to acquire young players, prospects, and draft picks. That’s resulted in shipping away some veteran staples, including Jake Guentzel and Marcus Pettersson, and it’s not expected to stop there.
Several more impact players in Pittsburgh have been in trade rumors for months now, but the guy they appear to want to move on from the most is Karlsson.
Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe provided the latest on Tuesday, in an appearance on “The Kevin Karius Show,” which included linking the star defenseman to the Detroit Red Wings.
“I really think he wants to trade Erik Karlsson. Karlsson has not worked in Pittsburgh; it’s been something of a disaster watching him play. But I know there are teams that are still interested in him. He played really well in the 4 Nations; he may have been Sweden’s best player. And I think that got people’s attention around the league,” Yohe said.
“Now the Penguins will have to eat some money if they do trade him. No one wants the $10 million cap hit that he comes with. But I wouldn’t be shocked if you hear his name pop up sooner rather than later. Detroit’s the team I’ve heard the most, that might be the most interested in him,” Yohe added.
The 35-year-old has two years remaining on the eight-year, $92 million contract he originally signed with the Sharks back in 2019. San Jose still pays $1.5 million of Karlsson’s salary per season, which puts him at a $10 million cap hit for acquiring teams.
Erik Karlsson can still play
A lot of people criticize Erik Karlsson for his flaws, and rightfully so, but he is still an elite defenseman in the NHL.
His numbers have come down since the 101-point Norris Trophy-winning 2022-23 campaign, but they remain very respectable, especially on a poor Penguins team.
Karlsson still possesses all of the tools that have made him one of the most dynamic offensive defensemen in hockey for years; it’s just up to a team that trades for him to find the right fit that sets him up for success.
The $10 million salary is a tough pill to swallow, but if Pittsburgh retains some of it and makes Erik Karlsson an $8 million defenseman, then plenty of teams should be all over the idea of acquiring his services.
