The Pittsburgh Penguins can afford to be patient in targeting Erik Karlsson.

The 2023 offseason has turned into the summer of waiting for the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.

In the early days, it was waiting for Fenway Sports Group to hire a new general manager; which turned into the Penguins waiting for Kyle Dubas to make his decision on taking the job.

Dubas eventually joined the front office as president of hockey operations, and while a lot has changed already, the organization is once again in a holding pattern.

Ever since the NHL draft, Dubas and the Penguins have been targeting Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks.

In the month since the draft, the Penguins have remained a heavy favorite and are yet to pull the chute on landing a deal.

But, we must all ask again, how long are the Penguins willing to wait to add a top end talent like Karlsson?

In reality, the Penguins can wait as long as they want; if they want to start the 2023-24 season without him and circle back around at the trade deadline, so be it.

It’s not like the Penguins need Karlsson right now, there are no open roster spots and if Dubas wants to bolster his blue line, there are backup plans.

Waiting into the season might also bring Karlsson’s price tag down a little; right now, the Sharks are looking for a haul for Karlsson, and teams aren’t willing to bend the knee.

If the season starts and Karlsson is still in San Jose (which is something he very much doesn’t want to do) his play likely won’t look as good as it did in 2022-23 when he put up 101 points.

The Sharks need to facilitate and complete a deal before the season starts to not lose out on a solid return.

They don’t seem to be valuing the amount of salary cap relief they would be getting properly, especially for a team already $5 million under the limit.

The Penguins on the other hand, should be willing to be patient and nab Karlsson without sacrificing too many assets.

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