Erik Karlsson Injury Could Speed Up Penguins Trade Plans

Karlsson’s absence leaves an enormous hole on the Penguins’ blue line, as he was not only leading the Penguins’ blueliners in scoring this year through 44 games (3rd most pts on the team with a total of 33 pts), but he also leads the team’s blueliners in shots on goal, takeaways, and ice time on the PP, making it very hard to replace his production.

As beat writer Josh Yohe pointed out, this now places immense pressure upon Kris Letang to shoulder this loss, increasing Letang’s responsibility in the lineup going forward, especially considering that Letang’s play has been inconsistent this year.

With Karlsson out for a minimum of two weeks, the Penguins have recalled defenseman Ryan Graves and forward Tristan Broz from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton AHL affiliate, and re-assigned Rafael Harvey-Pinard to the AHL. Letang now finds himself being the Penguins’ top offensive defenseman; however, it remains unclear who will be supporting him.

The Penguins Are Too Fragile To Suffer a Huge Loss

The Peguins currently sit just a point outside a wild-card spot, but have lost two games in a row. This team has been up and down all season, and a series of losses could move them out of the playoff mix for good. With a February 4 roster freeze coming up and the trade deadline following closely afterward, Dubas can’t sit on hands. He either needs to make trades or make a run.

Due to his injury, Karlsson’s presence will not be available to the Penguins for at least seven games; therefore, losing him could put a damper on Pittsburgh’s current scoring spree. The potential for poor play from the Penguins’ defense may lead management to pursue trades earlier than expected.