Team Sweden Is Unleashing Erik Karlsson. The Penguins Should Do The Same.

Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson is playing like his old self for Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-off - and Pittsburgh needs to take notes

Even though Team Sweden has started the 4 Nations Face-off tournament with two 4-3 overtime losses to Canada and Finland, there have been some bright spots on their well-balanced roster.

And Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson is one of them.

Through two games, Karlsson has a goal and an assist for Team Sweden, including a snipe in Sweden's loss to Finland on Saturday. But it's not even Karlsson's production that's standing out, even though he has shown up on the scoresheet as well.

It's the way he looks playing hockey against elite talent on an elite team.

Situated on a pairing with Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm, Karlsson looks confident. He looks poised. He looks comfortable. He looks the best he's looked in a few years, and it has come with Team Sweden unleashing him and allowing him to play his game.

As such, the Penguins should be taking notes.

Obviously, playing with elite talent tends to bring the best out of any player. He also has, arguably, the perfect defense partner in Ekholm, who plays a smart, calculated, and solid two-way game. He's always in the right spot positionally in relation to Karlsson, and his presence gives Karlsson the ability and the leverage to get to his game.

But it's not just Karlsson's company or his partner. A lot of it is Karlsson himself. He's more decisive. He's skating with confidence deep into the offensive zone, knowing that forwards are there to cover. He's carrying the puck into the danger areas and activating offensively. He's also playing pretty responsible defensively - as his mistakes have been at a minimum - and he's defended pretty well one-on-one.

And he's doing this all against elite competition as much as he is playing with it.

Even fans and analysts in Pittsburgh and outside of Pittsburgh - who, at times, have been pretty critical of Karlsson, to say the least - are noticing his high level of play in the 4 Nations Face-off:

Sure, he does this kind of stuff in Pittsburgh, even if it's more subtle. But that's just it: It's far more subtle than it needs to be in Pittsburgh. 

Is it a systems issue with the Penguins? Is it a coaching issue? Is it Karlsson overthinking too much and shooting himself in the foot?

Most likely, it's a combination of all three. But - as he has shown in two games with Team Sweden - Karlsson is at his best when he isn't overthinking. When he's just allowed to play his game. When he's free to get creative in a way only he knows how.

If the Penguins have, indeed, been holding back or limiting Karlsson, it's nothing short of malpractice. Given where the Penguins are in the standings, Karlsson being given more freedom to play his game on his terms can't really hurt them. It can only help at this point.

And if he plays anywhere close to the level he has in this tournament, the Penguins should be pleased with the outcome.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!