Penguins Already Moving On From Erik Karlsson?
The Pittsburgh Penguins should still be thinking short-term.
It has been an underwhelming season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They are closer to clinching a top-ten draft pick than a playoff spot, and the team will likely undergo significant turnover for the second offseason in a row.
One of the most discussed Penguins is polarizing defenseman Erik Karlsson. Penguins President/GM Kyle Dubas views Karlsson as part of the core, but that may not stop him from shopping the superstar defenseman this summer.
Josh Yohe of The Athletic added fuel to that fire this week when he discussed Karlsson's potential availability.
"The fact of the matter is, the Penguins have too many players in their 30s who are making millions of dollars. While Karlsson remains a great player and is hardly what ails the Penguins, he’s probably not who they really need right now. To remove themselves from his considerable salary is something, I suspect, that Kyle Dubas would be open to discussing."
Karlsson's 46 points are not what the Penguins were hoping for to this point in the season. However, he has still been one of the best offensive defensemen in the league. He has the second-highest expected goals created (68.2) of any defenseman in the league and the fifth most shot attempts (447) and rebounds created (20).
The Penguins inability to finish on chances created by Karlsson should be the primary concern of this organization. They are 30th in the NHL in shooting percentage (8.7%) this season and are behind even last year's San Jose Sharks (9.7%).
Perhaps Karlsson doesn't fit with the Penguins system of primarily perimeter play, but wouldn't that fall more on the coaching staff for not adapting to properly utilize one of the best offensive defensemen in today's game?
Either way, Karlsson's first season with the Penguins will likely end in missing the postseason. While changes are likely, moving on from Karlsson should not be on Dubas' list this summer.
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