CRANBERRY TWP, PA (93.7 The Fan) – It’s not exactly a back and forth between the Pens highest paid player and its general manager, but interesting comments between defenseman Erik Karlsson and GM Kyle Dubas over the last few days.
Karlsson was brought here as a ‘swing for the fences’ to try and find a skilled player who took this team to another level, instead the numbers have been dreadful, by his standards.
After a rare 100-point season by a defenseman in 2022-23 with San Jose, Karlsson has barely surpassed those 101 points in two full seasons with the Pens, 109. He had 25 goals with the Sharks his final year there, 22 combined in two seasons here. Last year, the 34-year-old had his lowest point total over a full season in his career by a wide margin and he was a minus 24. Yet his response to the season as he was cleaning out his locker Friday.
“I like this team here,” Karlsson said. “I think that the two years that I've been here, we've underachieved, and the group that we have in here is capable of a lot more.”
“Why we haven't been able to get that out? That's a question for someone else.”
That someone else was likely Pens general manager Kyle Dubas.
“My push to him would be that his actions have to match his ambitions,” Dubas said.
A damning comment that Dubas said he shared with Karlsson after what he said was a long post-season meeting on Friday. He told Karlsson he needs to show the consistency, preparation and training like all of the other players on the team. You could objectively note the number of defensive mistakes throughout the year.
Karlsson was actually fairly consistent from a point standpoint, having only a couple of three-game scoring droughts until January 17, when he went pointless for six games and then at the end of the year, he had one point in his last six.
“I think he's shown throughout the year that he has another level to him, at times playing for us, certainly playing for Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off,” Dubas said. “He was a player that you would watch and say, 'This guy can help any team, not only contend but probably win.'
Dubas admitted that Karlsson is a polarizing figure. That hasn’t changed since he joined the Pens two years ago. Expectations were high, but the payout has been minimum given his skills.
“There were moments of great play with too many inconsistent (moments),” Dubas said. “We have to push him to get there. That's the expectation that's dictated by his talent level and the impact he can make. It's a joint venture. So, yes, some of it is on the team. Part of it is on Erik. We have to find our way through."
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You can feel the frustrations from both sides. A divorce would probably be warranted, but given his $11.5 million salary per season that lasts for two more years, you are unlikely going to find a trade partner. Can you find Karlsson that represented Sweden in the 4 Nations? That is the challenge for Dubas, Mike Sullivan and most importantly Karlsson.