Many were confused as to why the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Erik Karlsson in the first place.
Yes, he’s a superstar defenseman that almost every team in the league would covet, but with Kris Letang, a supposed number one blueliner himself, already there, was it necessary?
While it didn’t work too well in San Jose alongside Brent Burns, that didn’t stop general manager Kyle Dubas from pulling the trigger to make the deal and bring Karlsson to Pittsburgh.
Year 3 of this experiment has just begun, and while there have been plenty of ups and downs on the ice, it sounds like Karlsson and Letang have gotten along just fine as teammates.
Karlsson was recently asked about their ability to coexist both on and off the ice, which Penguins reporter Wes Crosby shared on X (formerly Twitter).
“Tanger’s a great guy. He’s done most of the things that anyone could wish for in a career. He’s still going strong. I think that we respect each other equally, and we’re good friends off the ice. I think our relationship has been great from Day 1,” Karlsson said.
“We want to do what’s best for the other. We’re happy for each other. We’re trying to find a way where we’re both equally happy, and I think we’ve done a good job with that,” Karlsson added.
Erik Karlsson on Kris Letang: “Tanger’s a great guy. He’s done most of the things that anyone could wish for in a career. He’s still going strong. I think that we respect each other equally and we’re good friends off the ice. I think our relationship has been great from Day 1.”
— Wes Crosby (@OtherNHLCrosby) October 12, 2025
The 35-year-old Karlsson was, of course, traded to Pittsburgh from San Jose in a blockbuster move during the 2023 offseason. He has two years remaining on the eight-year, $92 million contract extension he originally signed with the Sharks back in 2019.
Strong start for Karlsson
While the stats tell another story, Erik Karlsson has looked about as good as we’ve seen during his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins thus far to start the new season.
Team reporter Josh Yohe echoed that sentiment on X.
This is the best version of Erik Karlsson that we’ve seen in Pittsburgh. Not even close.
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) October 8, 2025
His skating, hockey IQ, and creativity have been on full display, perhaps thanks to a change in system and philosophy under new head coach Dan Muse.
The production has yet to follow, as Karlsson remains without a point through three games, but if he can sustain this level of play, there is no doubt they will start to come in bunches.
