While Kyle Dubas may have ingratiated himself to the Pittsburgh Penguins well enough already, the rumours currently swirling around the Steel City mean that he has at least one more trick up his sleeve. After bringing in a host of new faces to fix the Penguins’ anemic bottom six, Dubas is reported to have his sights set on the biggest fish in the proverbial sea, San Jose Sharks defenceman and leading scorer Erik Karlsson. The Swede has long been the subject of trade rumours as he was among the few bright spots on a Sharks team that finished 29th in the league standings in 2022-23, only ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Anaheim Ducks.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, it’s now a two-horse race for the three-time Norris Trophy winner as the Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes remain the only squads in the hunt. The Penguins have the advantage for the moment, as they have signaled a willingness to accommodate Karlsson’s huge contract and its $11.5 million average annual value (AAV). The potential move also reportedly received the unofficial green light from the majority of the team’s core – Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. Although the Penguins’ captain has only recently endorsed the trade, he has shown repeated admiration for Karlsson’s talent.
“Oh, yeah, I want to say it was a pre-season game in Ottawa. You could tell he’s a special player, a special talent. He’s continually gotten better. You see the minutes that he consistently plays … that’s so difficult to do, especially when everybody knows that you’re the guy with the puck, and they’re trying to finish their hits. They’re trying to do a lot of different things. So he’s a big part of their team.”
Sidney Crosby praises Karlsson’s skillset when the latter was a still a member of the Ottawa Senators (from ‘Crosby knew Karlsson was a ‘special player’ the first time he saw him’, Don Brennan – Ottawa Citizen, 12/05/2017).
Letang Willing to Modify His Role to Fit Karlsson’s Skillset
Letang and the Penguins have been through a lot. Since the 36-year-old was drafted in 2005, he’s been a constant presence in the lineup and their No. 1 defenceman, a position that has seen him capture three Stanley Cups, play in six All-Star Games, and win an extremely warranted Bill Masterton Trophy as NHL comeback player of the year at this season’s NHL Awards. He remains one of the Penguins’ most popular players and commands deep respect from both in and outside the locker room. He has given his personal blessing to a Karlsson acquisition, ostensibly demonstrating his willingness to scale back his role so that the new arrival could flourish.
According to The Athletic‘s Rob Rossi, Letang has hinted at a willingness to be removed from the top power play unit in favour of Karlsson and instead set up shop as the leader of the second unit. This is easily the right move, as Karlsson not only surpassed Letang in power play points (albeit by a thin margin of six assists) but has proven to be a more agile and capable leader. His scoring and facilitating ability cannot be questioned, as he became the first defenceman since 1992 to record a 100-point season, registering an otherworldly 25 goals and 76 assists in a full 82 games. Rossi also indicated that Dubas identified Karlsson as one of his preferred acquisitions during his interviews with Fenway Sports Group (from ‘Erik Karlsson to the Penguins? What I’m Hearing About a Potential Trade’, Rob Rossi. The Athletic, 20/07/2023).
Related: Penguins’ 2023 Offseason Trade Targets
Letang obviously has the pedigree to recognize another player’s ability and has done so by seemingly endorsing the move for Karlsson. The veteran clearly understands what a talent like him can bring to a team in a slump, and is willing to take a step back in order to attract yet another generational talent to the Penguins.
Karlsson Addition Can Lead to Success
In the last few seasons, it’s usually one move that puts a team over the edge and catapults them to success. Patrick Maroon took over the 2019 Playoffs as a member of the St. Louis Blues after signing a one-year deal in the 2018 Offseason. This past season, Timo Meier has done the same for the New Jersey Devils, even though they only reached the second round. The Penguins themselves understand the impact a single signing or trade can have on a team. Carl Hagelin, for example, arrived in the second half of the 2015-16 season in a trade with the New York Rangers and subsequently re-ignited the Penguins’ lineup. Scoring 27 points in 37 regular-season games and a further 16 in the playoffs, he became an important cog in the machine that dispatched the Nashville Predators in six games.
Karlsson is a generational talent and among the Sharks’ major assets, which makes the potential return from the Penguins or any suitor extremely welcome to first-time general manager Mike Grier. He is one player that can alter the course of a franchise, as he did when he first arrived in Ottawa in 2008. Crosby and Letang have both reportedly recognized his ability and the latter has demonstrated a willingness to adapt to his potential new teammate. Karlsson could become the player that re-ignites the Penguins after a disappointing 2022-23.
