The Pittsburgh Penguins are having a strong season, and veteran blueliner Erik Karlsson has been one of their key contributors, exceeding expectations and contributing to Pittsburgh’s playoff push as a key offensive catalyst.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are standing out this season thanks in no small part to their veterans.
While star centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin get their deserved share of the credit, veteran defenseman Erik Karlsson should get his flowers as a key contributor to the Pens’ cause.
Karlsson isn’t going to win the Norris Trophy this year – that honor should go to either Columbus Blue Jackets D-man Zach Werenski, Colorado Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar, or Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes – but Karlsson needs to receive his props for being the Pens’ top blueliner and someone who will be a key for them in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Karlsson currently has 43 assists and 54 points in 64 games this season, while averaging a team-high 23:48 of ice time per game. Penguins coach Dan Muse is leaning heavily on Karlsson of late, as Karlsson has logged at least 24 minutes in seven of his past eight games, and he’s played 25 minutes or more in five of those eight games.
His increased ice time has also come with offensive results. Karlsson has posted multi-point performances in six of his last seven games, notching five goals and 14 points. Most of these games also came while Crosby was injured and Malkin was serving a five-game suspension.
The Penguins will only go as far in the post-season as Crosby and Malkin take them, but that’s also true of Karlsson. With veteran defenseman Kris Letang (three goals, 27 points) no longer the elite force he once was, the Pens need Karlsson more than ever to push the play into the offensive zone and make things happen once he and his teammates get there. And he’s been doing that, all season long.
At 35 years old, Karlsson is out of his prime years, and he’s almost assuredly never going to have a season as he did in 2022-23 with the San Jose Sharks, when he posted 76 assists and 101 points. But Karlsson is showing that he still has a lot left to give.
As the Penguins try to wrap up the Crosby, Malkin, Letang era organically, they’ve needed other players on the roster to step up and raise their game, and that’s exactly what Karlsson has done.
Karlsson has another season left on his contract after this season. Although it’s only natural for Father Time to chip away at Karlsson’s effectiveness, Karlsson’s strong current season has prevented his $10 million-per-season contract from seeming like a problem. It’s hard to say someone who earns as much as Karlsson does is a bargain, but it is accurate to say that he’s doing his part to help the Penguins win games.
Who knows – at the end of this year, if Malkin retires and the Penguins continue transitioning into a new era, it might make sense for Pens GM Kyle Dubas to put Karlsson on the trade market down the road.
But right now, Karlsson has earned a prominent role and responsibility with Pittsburgh. He’s always had the tools to be great, but in recent years, his reputation has taken a bit of a hit, and that’s not entirely fair. He’s doing what greybeard players should do – and that’s answering his critics with his performance on the ice.
If the Penguins do go far in the playoffs this year, it will be because Karlsson stepped up his game even more and delivered a Grade-A effort game-in and game-out.
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