Erik Karlsson still has something to prove in 3rd season with Penguins

Erik Karlsson figures to have a far better start to his 2025-26 than his 2024-25 campaign.

And the reason is simple.

He’s healthy.

An undisclosed injury sidelined Karlsson for almost all of the 2024 training camp and didn’t allow him the benefit of entering the regular season at full speed.

Karlsson wound up playing in all 82 games and posted 53 points (11 goals, 42 assists), an impressive figure on paper.

But paper can’t fully tabulate the numerous miscues by Karlsson that led to opposing goals. Or the generally underwhelming results he has offered in the more than two years since he arrived via one of the biggest trades in NHL history.

So, yeah, a good start to even something seemingly as mundane as training camp was reason for optimism.

“It was probably one of the harder first-day training camp skates that I’ve done in a long time,” Karlsson said when camp opened Sept. 18 in Cranberry. “It’s nice. It feels nice to know that I can still hang.”

The sight of Karlsson’s jersey still hanging in the Penguins’ dressing room was a matter of some doubt this past offseason. Given the Penguins’ overall malfunctions the past two seasons and Karlsson’s largely unsatisfactory contributions, there was plenty of speculation that he could be traded away for the benefit of the team and the player.

Karlsson stated he was oblivious to that chatter as he spent the past few months in his native Sweden.

“It was a quiet summer for me,” Karlsson said. “I didn’t really hear much other than what I read from you guys and other (media) around the league, which is typical for the offseason. I know I’m in the position that I’m in. But on my end, it was a very quiet and relaxing summer.”

Regardless of whether the Penguins had any substantive talks with any potential transaction partners, Karlsson has a full no-movement clause in his contract and would need to approve any trade, much like he did in August 2023 when he arrived in Pittsburgh in a deal with the San Jose Sharks.

He professes his focus remains with his current employer.

“If it would have changed along the way, it would have,” Karlsson said. “But … it did not. For me, it was a very quiet summer. I’m sure there was a lot of rumblings. I’m sure there’s been some discussions here and there, which is pretty normal. But from my side, not at the level where there was anything I had to be worried about or take into consideration.”

One matter the 35-year-old Karlsson would like to be considered is his case to be a member of Sweden’s Olympic hockey team. In June, the participating nations announced their first six selections to their respective rosters.

Karlsson — a seven-time All-Star and a three-time winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman — was not part of the sextet Sweden named.

“Obviously, I’m aiming to play in the Olympics. I, as of right now, think I’m a lock on that team,” Karlsson boasted. “I still have to prove myself and show them that I can still play at a high level. I think I’ve done that up until now. But now, I’ve got to continue that. Obviously, happy for all the guys that got the nod to go already. All deservedly so.

“Obviously, a very important thing for me is to get up to speed, especially at the Olympics. It’s been a while since we’ve had that opportunity. That’s, obviously, a big motivator for me. Same as it is a big motivator for me to come in here and show that I can be a top player in this league still, which I believe I am.”

One player who was named as one of his country’s first six Olympic selections concurs.

“I’m sure he’s motivated,” said Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, the presumed captain for Canada. “For all the guys that are in the conversation or have already made the team, there’s a lot of motivation with that. Guys know in the back of their mind what’s coming up. I would expect that to be the case.”

Karlsson appears slotted in to open the regular season on the Penguins’ top pairing next to free-agent signing Parker Wotherspoon. They were teamed together for most of training camp and the preseason, including the team’s preseason finale, a 5-4 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena on Friday.

Karlsson also has been getting extensive work on the team’s top power-play unit after being moved to the second unit for much of last season.

A better start to this season could provide a badly needed lift to a team few expect to succeed in 2025-26.

“If we can hang early on in the year, start winning some games early on and get a good feeling in this group, we’ll see where it can take us,” Karlsson said. “Got to start like that, and, hopefully, we can get off to a decently good start and get some good feeling in here.”

Notes: Six players cleared waivers Friday and were assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League: forwards Danton Heinen, Joona Koppanen, Valtteri Puustinen; defensemen Sebastian Aho, Phil Kemp; goaltender Filip Larsson … Rookie forward Rutger McGroarty worked out on the ice in Cranberry on Friday morning. It was his first time on the ice since camp opened. He has been sidelined by an undisclosed injury.