Erik Karlsson might be playing out the string in Pittsburgh, whether the numbers say he's still elite or not.
Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported Sunday he'd be surprised if the Penguins hand Karlsson a new deal after this season, despite calling his play brilliant.
That's a real gut punch for a player still producing at a high level entering his age 36 campaign.
Karlsson put up 15 goals and 51 assists for 66 points across 75 games last season, adding four power play goals and 22 power play assists.
He finished plus-8 on the year too, hardly the profile of a player teams usually plan to move on from.
But his cap hit sits at $11,500,000, a number that gets harder to justify as term and age keep climbing.
NHL Rumour Report shared Yohe's report straight from the source, capturing exactly how blunt the outlook sounds right now.
-
GM Kyle Dubas has run this front office since August 2023, and letting a contract like this play out says plenty about where his priorities sit.
Penguins rebuild timeline collides with Karlsson's future
Dan Muse has coached the bench since June 2025, inheriting a roster that still leans heavily on aging talent up front and on the blue line.
Pittsburgh finished last season 41-25-16 for 98 points and a plus-25 differential, respectable numbers that mask a three game slide to close things out.
Paying elite money to a defenseman in his late 30s is like renewing a lease on a great apartment you know you're about to outgrow.
The view might still be worth it for one more year, just not for the years after that.
Karlsson has one season left to make this an easy decision instead of an uncomfortable one for Dubas.
Should the Penguins give Erik Karlsson one more contract after this season?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
NHL's next expansion team and city reportedly now made official
