Questions Emerge Concerning Karlsson, Penguins' Blue Line

The start of the 2024-25 Pittsburgh Penguins season is simply 11 days away, however it could be beginning with out one of many staff’s greatest gamers.

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Questions have emerged relating to the standing of high defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has been labeled as day-to-day with an upper-body damage for the reason that onset of coaching camp. Within the earlygoing, he was skating on his personal earlier than camp ensued, however during the last three apply days, he didn’t take the ice beforehand.

Though he didn’t have any additional information to report on Thursday after coaching camp, head coach Mike Sullivan did provide a bit extra Saturday morning, asserting that Karlsson wouldn’t skate this weekend.

For many of coaching camp, right-side defenseman Jack St. Ivany had been paired with left-side defenseman Ryan Graves, seemingly drawing up Pittsburgh’s bottom-pairing for the beginning of the season. Defenseman Sebastian Aho was, presumably, performing as a “placeholder” for Karlsson alongside Marcus Pettersson within the top-four.

That’s, till Thursday’s camp – when St. Ivany was bumped as much as the top-four with Pettersson, leaving Graves on the bottom-pairing with Aho. Coincidentally, Thursday was additionally the primary day that Karlsson didn’t skate earlier than camp started.

On the very least, that is mildly regarding. With the character of NHL damage reporting, there’s not likely any means of understanding what’s ailing Karlsson till any official announcement is launched by the staff.

Related: Here’s What the Final Penguins’ Roster Will Probably Look Like

Nonetheless, on a floor degree, it appears as if the staff was ready to have Karlsson prepared for the season till he hit some type of snag previous to Thursday morning. At that time, pairings acquired shifted, Karlsson stopped skating, and there has not been any signal of progress since.

If the Penguins start the season with out Karlsson, it leaves an enormous gap on their proper aspect. St. Ivany was the one actual proper protection possibility left on the roster, and whereas younger and promising, he is hardly a top-four possibility at this level. Aho can slot on the proper aspect, however he is possible a sixth or seventh defenseman at greatest.

As well as, it results in questions over how the Penguins will select to deal with Karlsson’s absence, if he is certainly going to be out long-term. It might, maybe, open the door to some type of commerce for a right-side defenseman, contemplating the truth that the Penguins have few choices after the release of Nikolai Knyzhov from his PTO contract on Friday.

As well as, the Penguins – hypothetically – appeared poised to carry 14 forwards and seven defensemen, leaving an additional slot for a younger prospect like Rutger McGroarty or Vasily Ponomarev to have a shot at cracking the NHL roster.

Related: Penguins’ Top Prospect Slated to Start in Back-to-Back Preseason Games

But when Karlsson is out, the Penguins will possible need to have choices on the blue line. This might make means for Aho, Ryan Shea, John Ludvig, and St. Ivany all to stay on the roster, with the Penguins carrying 13 forwards and eight defensemen, leaving no house for any wiggle room with forwards.

All in all, this has the potential to be a reasonably compromising state of affairs for the Penguins. Karlsson was the highest producer on the blue line final season, registering 11 goals and 56 points in 82 video games. Many had been hoping for a little bit of an offensive uptick from Karlsson this season, in addition to seeing him play a extra energetic function in bettering the ability play, which has arguably value them a playoff spot for 2 consecutive seasons.

Karlsson’s presence additionally helps ease the load of fellow top-four proper defenseman Kris Letang, whose grueling minutes had been alleviated by a cut up with Karlsson final season. With each defensemen within the fold, Pittsburgh has one of many higher top-four proper sides within the league.

It is going to be fascinating to see how this case progresses over the subsequent week. The Penguins head to Detroit tonight to kick off a back-to-back preseason slate, which concludes after they face off in opposition to the Ottawa Senators on the Elliot Lake Centennial Area for Kraft Hockeyville in Sudbury on Sunday.

They’ll return to coaching camp on Monday, and hopefully, extra details about Karlsson’s standing might be identified then.

Related: Penguins Fall to Sabres in Second Preseason Matchup