Penguins A to Z: Erik Karlsson fits in as part of the ‘Big 4’

Seth Rorabaugh | Thursday, May 23, 2024 7:01 a.m.

In 82 games this season, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson had 56 points (11 goals, 45 assists).

With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season coming to an end without any postseason action, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 51 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from fourth-line center Noel Acciari to reserve winger Radim Zohorna.

This series is scheduled to be published every weekday leading into the second day of the NHL Draft on June 29.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Cap Friendly.)

Erik Karlsson

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Right

Age: 33

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 190 pounds

2023-24 NHL statistics: 82 games, 56 points (11 goals, 45 assists), 24:16 of average ice time per game

2024 IIHF World Championship statistics: Seven games, 10 points (five goals, five assists)

Contract: In the fifth year of an eight-year contract with a salary cap hit of $11.5 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2027.

(Note: Per the conditions of the trade that brought Karlsson to the Penguins, the San Jose Sharks have retained $1.5 million of his salary cap hit for the remainder of the contract. Additionally, this contract contains a no-movement clause.)

Acquired: Trade, Aug. 6, 2023

This season: It wasn’t just the ridiculous amount of skill that Erik Karlsson boasts that appeared to make him a good match with the Penguins when he joined the franchise via one of the biggest trades in NHL history almost 10 months ago.

It was also his attitude, flamboyance and approach to hockey.

Similar to the likes of Pierre Larouche, Mario Lemieux, Paul Coffey, Jaromir Jagr, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, Karlsson knows he is very good at this sport and carries himself as such.

Be it his long hair or his seemingly effortless skating stride, Karlsson just seems like a fit for the Penguins’ brand.

In reality, the first year of that union probably had more frustration and confusion than harmony and cohesion.

To be clear, Karlsson had a good season by most measures. But considering he was coming off a 101-point campaign in the 2022-23 season with the Sharks, so much more was anticipated.

And a lot of those aspirations were rooted in the power play which never found much in the way of sustained success. With Karlsson stationed primarily on the point of the team’s typical alignment of four forwards and a single defenseman, the Penguins sputtered with the man advantage, finishing with a conversion rate of 15.3%, 30th-best in the 32-team NHL.

In terms of five-on-five play, Karlsson drove a lot of strong underlying numbers in terms of possession, but the results could be labeled as mixed.

Primarily aligned on a pairing with Marcus Pettersson, Karlsson’s game in even-strength situations was largely in line with what he offered as a member of the Sharks or Ottawa Senators. There were plenty of good moments in the offensive realm.

Erik Karlsson extends his point streak to six games (4G-6A).

His streak is the second-longest active point streak among defensemen. pic.twitter.com/tx2aYFlzVy

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 15, 2023

And plenty of offensive moments in his defensive duties.

pic.twitter.com/6xTZhCBWps

— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 21, 2024

Karlsson seemed to really piece together his most sustained stretch of strong play in the final stages of the season as he managed to record a point in seven of his final eight games of 2023-24, totalling 10 points (three goals, seven assists) during that span.

Following the regular season, Karlsson joined Sweden for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Championship tournament. Serving as captain, he guided Sweden to a perfect record (7-0) record in the preliminary round.

pic.twitter.com/6OZwm2kRJm

— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) May 24, 2024

The future: Karlsson faced a lot of scrutiny in 2023-24 and justly so given the gymnastics Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas had to perform to bring the All-Star defenseman to Pittsburgh.

It’s accurate to suggest Karlsson did not deliver as hoped, particularly with regard to the power play. He was expected to be a patch that would re-work all the coding for that malfunctioning group but the Penguins only got worse (and were almost the worst in the NHL) on the man advantage.

And while Karlsson was typically in the black in terms of five-on-five play, the impact he made in that area just felt stunted.

To be clear, Karlsson, who turns 34 on May 31, was one of the Penguins’ best players in 2023-24. But a lot more was fairly expected.

The Penguins have a “Big Three” core of forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang. But Karlsson is essentially part of that group.

That inclusion comes through Karlsson’s ability to alter games as well as the size and nature of his contract being difficult to move off the roster.

Regardless of the reason, Karlsson fits in as part of the Penguins’ “Big Four.”

Follow the Penguins all season long.