Karlsson Lights Up Rinks for Red Wings' Victory Succession!

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 30: Tommy Novak #18 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with Erik Karlsson #65 and Parker Wotherspoon #28 after scoring a goal in the second period during the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images When the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for defenseman Erik Karlsson prior to the start of the 2023-24 season, it seemed like a slam-dunk move. They were getting a Hall of Fame defenseman and three-time Norris Trophy winner for a first-round pick and a bunch of bad contracts they did not want.

It was also an attempt to make another run at a potential Stanley Cup with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and it gave them another big-time talent to help get them there. Over Karlsson’s first two seasons with the Penguins, things did not exactly go as planned. Karlsson was mostly fine, but not quite the impact player they were hoping for him to be.

The team as a whole slumped and missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons, with something of a rebuild or re-tool starting to happen at the end of the 2023-24 season. Coming into the 2025-26 season expectations were pretty low for everybody on the team, including Karlsson. He seemed to be one of the veteran players on the trade block, most people had given up on him still being an elite player, and nobody had any expectations for the Penguins to be even remotely competitive this season.

Here we are halfway through the month of March, with just 16 games remaining on the regular season schedule, and the Penguins are in second-place in the Metropolitan Division, still maintaining a nice cushion for a playoff spot and in a really good spot overall. They are still winning games and collecting points despite Crosby having missed the past month. There are a lot of reasons for that success, and the play of Karlsson has to be near the top of the list.