Erik Karlsson Reveals why he wanted to land in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Penguins believe they have one last Cup run in them, and on the weekend, they made a move to make that possible by acquiring three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks.
A long time coming
The deal didn't come together slowly, as Karlsson has been red-hot on the rumour mill since last season, and after GM Kyle Dubas spoke on the trade recently, now it's Karlsson's turn.
In his first interview since the trade, Karlsson revealed that he didn't give San Jose a short list of destinations, but when Pittsburgh emerged as a candidate, he knew that's where he wanted to be.
One more Cup run?
While the Penguins have to contend with the incredibly talented and crowded Eastern Conference next year, this move makes them a tough team to beat, and according to Karlsson, that gives them a shot at another Cup.
Ultimately, this move was about one thing; a fourth Cup in the era of Crosby/Malkin/Letang, and given that he's yet to win one, Karlsson will be even more motivated in 2023-24, and it sounds like he's excited.
As Read on Hockey Feed - Erik Karlsson explains why he picked Pittsburgh over any other team
| POLL | ||
AOÛT 9 | 165 ANSWERS Erik Karlsson Reveals why he wanted to land in Pittsburgh Can Karlsson win a fourth Norris Trophy this year? | ||
| Yes | 61 | 37 % |
| No | 104 | 63 % |
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| Frederick Gaudreau | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Jack Hughes | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Mackenzie Weegar | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Kent Johnson | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Alexander Wennberg | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Mitchell Chaffee | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matthew Coronato | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Marcus Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
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| Conor Geekie | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
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| Igor Sharangovich | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dmitry Voronkov | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 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 | ||||||