Penguins Offseason on Pause for Erik Karlsson
With more work to do, the Pittsburgh Penguins await news on Erik Karlsson to continue their offseason.
After a season filled with highs and lows for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was apparent that this offseason would be transformational for the organization. That has held to this point in the offseason.
Two of the Penguins' veteran leaders, Brian Dumoulin and Jason Zucker, were allowed to walk in free agency, Stanley Cup Champion Reilly Smith came to Pittsburgh in a salary cap dump, and Ryan Graves became the Penguins' new top left-handed defenseman. However, the offseason will be defined by two moves that halted the Penguins' summer plans, one of which remains unsettled.
The first was hiring Kyle Dubas as the Penguins' new President of Hockey Operations. The Penguins were close to naming their new general manager before the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to move on from Dubas as their general manager. Once Dubas hit the open market, Fenway Sports Group halted the search for a new general manager, placing it on pause until Dubas made his decision.
The organization is in a similar position now with the reigning Norris Trophy defenseman Erik Karlsson. The Penguins and Metropolitan Division rival Carolina Hurricanes remain the primary teams in discussions with the San Jose Sharks.
According to Rob Rossi of The Athletic, Pittsburgh is Karlsson's preferred destination, but how long are the Penguins prepared to wait, and how much are they willing to pay for the Swede's services?
Many see Karlsson as the cherry on top of Dubas' first offseason as the head of the Penguins organization, but what holes will the potential return open up in the Penguins roster? More importantly, how do the Penguins proceed if they don't acquire Karlsson?
They still employ two troubling forward contracts, the immovable Jeff Carter deal and the somewhat less freshly acquired Mikael Granlund contract. Their expensive yet slightly lower than league average defense remains largely intact, except for Graves. And the Penguins are set to be the oldest in the NHL for a second straight season.
A few defensive options remain in the free agency market, including Matt Dumba and Anthony DeAngelo atop that list. Noah Hanifin and Matt Grzelcyk are also available on the trade market. The Penguins have made some significant changes, but whether they end up with Karlsson or not, there is work left to do to become contenders again.
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