Erik Karlsson Speaks; Joining PP1, Internal Changes

Any angst that built up when Erik Karlsson’s injury kept him off the ice for several days melted away Saturday. The veteran Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman not only was a full participant in practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, but he also expressed confidence that he will be ready to play Wednesday when the Penguins open the regular season at home against the New York Rangers.

“I feel pretty good, good enough. The season opener has always been the goal,” Karlsson said after practice.

“It’s something we weren’t too worried about, and that’s why we didn’t make it a big deal. I just needed some time off to let a few things settle down, and once they did, I was pretty much good to go. The goal was always to play in the first game of the season, and it looks like we’re going to accomplish that with ease.”

Coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Karlsson was full contact on Saturday.

Karlsson had been listed as day-to-day from the opening day of training camp. His injury came as something of a surprise. He skated on his own some days but then came a stretch of time when he stayed off the ice as part of his rehab for an upper-body injury. He rejoined his teammates a few days ago but in a non-contact capacity.

He didn’t elaborate on the injury but indicated with a small smile that a bit of overexuberance in his training led to the problem.

Karlsson did not have a chance to play in any preseason games. Sullivan has said that at this stage, Karlsson, 34, didn’t need as much camp as perhaps younger players.

Karlsson agreed, to a point.

“It is what it is. It’s always nice to get at least a couple of games under your belt just to get the legs going and get used to somewhat of the pace of the game again. It’s something that’s hard to replicate off the ice or even in practice.

“But at the end of the day, it’s not that big of a deal, I don’t think. I’m not too worried about it. Again, I’ve done it before, not playing preseason games.”

Besides, missing the preseason games was something that he and the team pretty much accepted from the start of camp.

“I think we had a pretty rock solid plan from the beginning, and the (medical and training) team around me has executed it perfectly. It’s going to be nice to get a few practices in, at least to get some familiarity with the puck.

“I’m going to be ready and good to go on Wednesday. I’ve been preparing for that date as best I can. I’m excited for it, just like everybody else.”

While the Penguins did not skate in line rushes during practice, it seems likely that Karlsson will skate with Marcus Pettersson.

Penguins Power Play

However, the team spent a big portion of the workout practicing the power play. Karlsson was on the left flank, with Kris Letang up top. The forwards on the top unit were Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Rickard Rakell.

Karlsson has been keeping up to speed on what the team wants on the power play, which was a dismal 30^th in the NHL at 15.3 percent last season.

“I’ve been involved in everything in regard to meetings and off-ice discussions and been kept up to date. Obviously, I haven’t gotten the reps that the other guys have, but it feels good. I think everybody’s excited. It’s a clean slate for us. We all know that we’re much better than we were last year.”

Manning the left flank with the man advantage will take some adjustment.

“A little rusty, but I obviously haven’t skated that much yet. It’s something that’s going to take a little bit of getting used to,” Karlsson said. “But at the same time, it feels very comfortable. I’m surrounded by a great group of guys, and everybody’s motivated and excited to get going. I’m going to try and do my part to the best ability that I can and start building something.

“I strongly believe that the power play is not going to be something that is going to be discussed in a bad way this year, hopefully. I’m just excited to get going. Obviously, the power play is an advantage for every team that gets it. We’re excited for that opportunity starting this year.”

The power play and the defense are now under the guidance of assistant David Quinn, who replaced the fired Todd Reirden after last season.

In 2022-23, Quinn was the head coach in San Jose and Karlsson won the Norris Trophy, racking up 101 points for the Sharks.

Now they are reunited.

“He’s a good guy. He’s a great person,” Karlsson said of Quinn. “We had a great relationship for the one year that we were together in San Jose. We stayed in contact since. I’m happy that he’s here. I think he fits in well with this group and this coaching staff, his philosophies and his ideas. He’s made his presence known in a positive way, not only to me but to everybody.

“Hopefully, he can get the most out of not only the (defense) corps and the power play but the team as a whole.”

Sullivan, a close friend of Quinn’s for years, also sounded optimistic about the power play, which is moving the puck at a faster pace.

“We’ve really liked what we’ve seen to this point,” Sullivan said. “I think they have a totally different mindset going into it this year. I think that some of the ideas that (Quinn) has brought has helped us get on the right track.”

Karlsson seemed to struggle a bit with the transition to the Penguins last season. He had 11 goals, 45 points in playing all 82 games.

“It’s a new year,” Karlsson said. “There are going to be new things this year that are going to work, and things that are not. I’ll try and assess and figure those things out as early as possible. But the goal and the plan is to hit the ground running on Wednesday and take it from there.

“It starts on Wednesday, and, hopefully, everybody can get off to a good start.”