Penguins Top Stars Reveal Thoughts On Erik Karlsson Trade
Erik Karlsson had a stellar 2022-23 season, becoming just the sixth defenceman in NHL history to pass the 100 point mark en route to his third Norris Trophy victory.
Not wanting to stay in San Jose however, it's become clear this off-season that his time with the Sharks is likely done, with two Eastern Conference teams becoming key suitors.
The Pittsburgh Penguins
Along with the Carolina Hurricanes, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been chasing Karlsson all off-season, despite being $2.3 million over the salary cap as of right now.
Their goal will be to pair him with veterans Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, and now two of the teams leaders have officially given their input to new President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas.
The veteran core
When a player like this becomes available, the key veterans on their team need to have input, and according to a report from The Source, both Letang and Crosby have given Dubas their stamp of approval to chase the 15-year veteran.
With other teams still chasing Karlsson, it's tough to predict just where he will end up, but as of right now, it appears Pittsburgh may be the next landing spot for the three-time Norris Trophy winner.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 20 | 127 ANSWERS Penguins Top Stars Reveal Thoughts On Erik Karlsson Trade Will Karlsson end up in Pittsburgh next season? | ||
| Yes | 77 | 60.6 % |
| No | 50 | 39.4 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Jason Robertson | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Chandler Stephenson | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Sebastian Aho | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mikael Granlund | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Roope Hintz | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Wyatt Johnston | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brandon Montour | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| William Nylander | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jaden Schwartz | - | 2 | 2 | |
| John Tavares | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jamie Benn | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Evgeny Dadonov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Yanni Gourde | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Pontus Holmberg | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Fraser Minten | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ryan Poehling | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Roslovic | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Daniel Sprong | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Hurricanes | 18 | 14 | 4 | - | 28 | |
Capitals | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 27 | |
Wild | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 27 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Devils | 21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 25 | |
Stars | 18 | 12 | 6 | - | 24 | |
Golden Knights | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 24 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||