Erik Karlsson Is the Penguins’ Constant Amidst Injury Turmoil
The Pittsburgh Penguins have scratched and clawed their way through a grueling month of March, a good portion of which without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. They currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan division with nine games left to play. Throughout this stretch, there has been one constant in the midst of a lot of injury uncertainty: Erik Karlsson.
Karlsson seems to have rediscovered his game under new head coach, Dan Muse. After three points against the Ottawa Senators on March 26, he set his highest point total (57) as a Penguin in 15 fewer games than his previous mark (56 in 2023-24). In a completely new system, Karlsson is flourishing again in the black and gold.
The Return of Erik Norris-son? For over a decade now, Karlsson has been one of the best offensive defenseman in the game. The Swedish superstar is a three-time winner of the Norris Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best defenseman.
His most recent win came in the 2022-23 season, where he notched 101 points, becoming the first blueliner to cross the century mark since Brian Leetch 30 years prior. In 15 games since February 28, Karlsson has netted eight goals and tallied 14 assists, totaling 22 points, the second-highest mark in the NHL in that span. Expanded over a full 82-game season, that rounds out to a 44-77-121 pace.
The level that Karlsson is playing at right now is better than his historic 101-point season from three years ago, and it’s been exactly what the Penguins have needed. We're seeing vintage Erik Karlsson, folks • Six goals over his last six games • Three-straight three-point games on the road • Seven multi-point games over his last 10 outings • Ranks second in the NHL with 22 points since February 28 pic. twitter.