For the Pittsburgh Penguins, their town has been home to some of the greatest defensemen of their respective generations. NHL legends Paul Coffey, Sergei Gonchar, and Larry Murphy were amongst the best defensive playmakers Pittsburgh had ever seen. After lifting the Stanley Cup three times in his career, Kris Letang is right up there with them.
With division rivals building higher-powered offenses during the summer, Penguins general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas instinctively saw the need for tactical reinforcements on the backend this offseason; so he worked his front-office magic to add 2022-23 Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson to that same list of legends. Karlsson stands as a shifty blueliner with a deadly shot that Pittsburgh believes may be the antidote to their recent postseason woes.
Coming of Age
In the previous 17 seasons, the Penguins have relied heavily on the hustle of Letang, their beloved franchise point man. While a veteran difference-maker with intangible characteristics, he is among the aging core of the Penguins alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. While the “Big Three” in Pittsburgh have no intention of slowing down or showing signs of such, their age alone simply warrants the necessity of bolstering the Pens’ firepower.
Karlsson coming over from the San Jose Sharks immediately turns the “Big Three” into the “Core Four.” After running the show as the Penguins’ chief piece on the back end for his illustrious career, Letang was due for assistance. Many fans latched onto the notion that he may have been averse to the addition of Karlsson, seeing as it may impact his position in the number one role on defense; but sacrifices are imperative if the Penguins are to compete with their much younger counterparts in the 2023-24 season.
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Prior to the trade, those rumors were put to bed as Crosby and Letang voiced their support for acquiring Karlsson. Seeing as Letang and Karlsson are both right-shot defensemen who play in the same slot, there is little to worry about in regard to their on-ice chemistry. Per Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dave Molinari, Letang and Karlsson “should have no problem coexisting.” While Letang will most likely retain his post as the first defenseman, he has endorsed the idea of Karlsson taking over his top spot on the first powerplay unit.
Filling In the Gaps
The Penguins have an opportunity to shock the hockey world this season and take a run at Lord Stanley; their status as the statistically oldest team in the NHL brings doubt to the table. It’s a rarity that one team solidifies two generational defensemen like Pittsburgh has with both Letang and Karlsson. The decision to pursue Karlsson was not solely a method of giving Letang relief, but also filling the void left on the blue line by the Penguins’ previous GM, Ron Hextall.
It’s no secret that Hextall’s tenure in Pittsburgh was a resounding failure. Between unloading veteran Mike Matheson and budding talent John Marino, Hextall’s rapid demolition of the defensive core left the team in ruin. It was not until the offseason hiring of Dubas that desperately needed changes began to be made.
Dubas “understood the assignment,” as he pulled out all the stops to completely redesign the defensive lines. Losing Brian Dumoulin to the Seattle Kraken this offseason was another blow to the blue line, but adding a young sparkplug like Ryan Graves to the defensive core not only increases depth options but brings first-line talent. According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, potential lines for the 2023-24 season are as follows: Graves and Letang take the top line, followed by Karlsson and Marcus Petterson on the second, rounded out with Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Chad Ruhwedel in the final slot.
By the Numbers
Karlsson brings every intangible to a defense that a coach would want out of a player. However, it is obviously not the “eye test,” or simply watching him, that’s garnered attention; his statistics do all of the talking. Not only has he won the Norris Trophy, but he has won it three times: Twice as a member of the Ottawa Senators at ages 21 and 24, and last season at age 33 with the Sharks.
Being crowned the NHL’s best defenseman three times is a feat equal to Hall-of-Famer Chris Chelios, and only surpassed by Ray Bourque, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Bobby Orr. The gap between Karlsson’s Norris Trophies put his longevity as a superstar on a striking display. In the 2023-24 NHL season, he broke the 100-point mark for the first time in his career, knotting 25 goals and 76 assists.
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For perspective: Letang was still the Penguins’ top-scoring defenseman last season with 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists), despite missing 18 games due to injury and personal leave. Bringing over a player of Karlsson’s caliber is sure to lift some weight off of Letang’s shoulders, while also heavily increasing contributions from the D-core. Pittsburgh fans have much to be excited about, as another potential Hall-of-Famer has entered their picture.