The Pittsburgh Penguins are not quite where they wanted to be halfway through the 2023-24 NHL season after acquiring Erik Karlsson in the blockbuster trade of the summer — but the superstar D-man is enjoying his time in Pennsylvania nonetheless.
“It's been a great experience for me,” the Swede told NHL.com's Wes Crosby on Wednesday. “Coming in here and joining such an exclusive club that they have here, I think, with the people that they've had here for a period of time and what they've gone through, and what they've accomplished. So for me, I think it's just fun to be able to be a part of that and hear their thoughts and things that I haven't heard before. At the same time, being able to share the experiences that I've had.”
In his 15th full National Hockey League campaign, Karlsson leads the Pens' blueline with seven goals and 28 points in 39 games. It's not quite the prolific clip he scored at last season, when the 33-year-old exploded for 101 points and won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman. Still, it's solid production.
Erik Karlsson still chasing Lord Stanley
Karlsson was brought to Pennsylvania by new GM Kyle Dubas over the summer, with the goal of helping this team compete for another Stanley Cup.
The trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have won three each, in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Karlsson is still looking for his first championship.
“I think it's been fairly consistent throughout the year,” Karlsson said of his production this season, per Crosby. “Obviously, certain situations are easier to handle. We've been at it for a while, becoming a little bit more automatic as a team, as a whole. I think we've played better for the last four or five weeks. That helps each and every individual in here to feel better about themselves.
“So I'm excited for the rest of the stretch here. We're starting to see a little bit on how things are rounding out, where we're standing and what you need to accomplish to reach the goal that we're here to do.”
Penguins back on track after slow start
After a slow start, the Penguins have turned things on lately. Pittsburgh has won nine of its last 13, improving to 20-15-4 and sitting just 10 points back of the New York Rangers for the division lead.
The fact this club is still second-last in the Metro says a ton about the ultra-competitive nature of the division in 2023-24. But the Pens are building some great momentum for the second half.
“It's been a great journey so far and I'm excited to move it forward,” Karlsson asserted. “Figuring out exactly what it takes to win a championship. We're doing that together here.”
Clearly, Erik Karlsson is not taking his first season with the Penguins for granted. And a great test awaits for him and his team against the visiting Vancouver Canucks — who are in second place in the NHL — at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night.
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