Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Joining teammates at practice
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Karlsson (upper body) took the ice in a regular sweater with the main group Friday, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports.
Karlsson is unlikely to jump right back into action against the Jackets on Friday in the Penguins' preseason finale. Instead, the blueliner looks on track to be ready to suit up for Opening Night versus the Rangers. Still, it's good news for the Swede, who has thus far missed the entirety of training camp due to his upper-body issue. Once given the all-clear, Karlsson figures to eat a ton of minutes on Pittsburgh's blue line and should step into a spot on the No. 1 power-play unit -- though Kris Letang will likely also be in contention for that role.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Cleared for non-contact practice
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Karlsson (upper body) will join the Penguins' non-game group in a non-contact jersey Thursday, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports.
At this point, Karlsson shouldn't be expected to play versus Columbus on Friday either, which means he will have missed the entirety of the preseason. In fact, the veteran blueliner could be in danger of missing regular-season action with the Penguins kicking off the 2024-25 campaign versus the Rangers on Wednesday. If Karlsson misses any time, Kris Letang will likely rejoin the top power-play unit.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Back skating Tuesday
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Karlsson (upper body) took a solo twirl on the ice Tuesday, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Karlsson had been held off the ice since Thursday but seems to be making strides in his recovery. The Pens have just three more preseason opportunities for the 34-year-old blueliner to get back into the lineup, though he is expected back for Opening Night versus the Rangers on Oct. 9 either way. If Karlsson does miss any time, Kris Letang will move into the No. 1 power-play unit while Sebastian Aho could make the 23-man roster.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Expected back for Opening Night
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Karlsson (upper body) continues to be classified as day-to-day but should be available for Opening Night against the Rangers on Oct. 9 after coach Mike Sullivan told reporters Thursday, "I'm confident that he is going to make progress here. Right now, his status is day-to-day... Our team is working with him here, and I am confident that they will have success."
Karlsson has yet to get onto the ice during training camp due to his lingering upper-body issue. The fact that Sullivan used the term confident multiple times actually could be more concerning for fantasy players, as it still leaves things up in the air. If Karlsson were to miss any game action, it would likely fall to Kris Letang to suit up with the No. 1 power-play unit while Sebastian Aho could make the Opening Night roster.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Skates on his own Saturday
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Karlsson (upper body) skated on his own before practice Saturday, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Karlsson didn't skate when the Penguins opened training camp Wednesday, so he is trending in the right direction. He could be ready for Opening Night on Oct. 9 versus the Rangers. Karlsson had 56 points in 82 games during his first season with the Penguins in 2023-24. The 34-year-old defender had a career-high 101 points in 2022-23 for San Jose and will likely be around the 70-point mark this campaign if he can remain healthy.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Day-to-day to open camp
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Karlsson was labeled day-to-day with an upper-body injury on the first day of Penguins' training camp Wednesday, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports.
Karlsson was no doubt hoping for a bounce-back year after managing just 56 points last season, well off his Norris Trophy pace the year prior in which he racked up 101 points. The addition of coach David Quinn is expected to unlock Karlsson's potential, though that's far from guaranteed. In regard to his injury, the fact that the team classified it as day-to-day should be an indication that Karlsson will be ready for Opening Night against the Rangers on Oct. 9 even if he does miss some preseason action.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Snags helper against Isles
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Karlsson registered an assist in the season finale versus the Islanders on Wednesday.
Karlsson ended the 2023-24 season on a high note with points in seven of his last eight outings for a combined three goals and seven assists over that stretch. Overall, it was a down season for the blueliner after he posted a career-high 101 points last season en route to being awarded the Norris Trophy. Still, Karlsson got over the 50-point threshold for just the second time in his last six seasons this campaign.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Scores goal in must-win game
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Karlsson scored a goal and added an assist in Monday's 4-2 win over the Predators.
It's been an up-and-down season for Karlsson, who isn't anywhere close to the 101 points he posted last year. Still, as the Penguins push for a wild card spot, he has picked up the pace. Following a seven-game drought in March, he has posted three goals and nine points in the last seven contests.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Earns assist in 1,000th game
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Karlsson posted a power-play assist, five shots on goal, two PIM and a minus-4 rating in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Bruins.
Karlsson became the newest member of the 1,000-game club Saturday. His stat line was reflective of his career -- he generated some offense on the power play but struggled defensively. The 33-year-old has two goals and five assists over his last six appearances, which came on the heels of a seven-game slump. The defenseman is at 53 points (16 on the power play), 202 shots on net, 98 blocked shots, 44 PIM and a plus-3 rating through 80 contests this season.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Scores overtime winner
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Karlsson scored the game-winning goal in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Red Wings.
Karlsson has been finding his offensive stride of late with six points in his last five contests, though none of those tallies were earned with the man advantage. While the 33-year-old blueliner has been putting together a solid campaign, 52 points in 79 games is a far cry from the 101 he racked up last year on his way to the Norris Trophy.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Three helpers against Bolts
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Karlsson notched three assists in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Lightning.
The 33-year-old blueliner picked up a helper in each period, none bigger than the one he recorded on Michael Bunting's game-winner in the third. Karlsson has a modest three-game point streak going, but this was his first multi-point performance since Feb. 22. The Penguins could use a hot streak from him to close out the regular season as they fight for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Offensive game lacking
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Karlsson failed to register a shot in Monday's 5-2 win over the Rangers, extending his goal drought to 18 games.
Karlsson is also pointless in his last seven outings. During that scoring slump, he's generated 20 shots, eight blocks and two hits while averaging 23:41 of ice time. Despite the lack of offensive production, the veteran blueliner continues to see time with the No. 1 power-play unit ahead of Kris Letang.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Goal drought continues
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Karlsson failed to score a goal for the 14th straight game against the Avalanche on Sunday.
Karlsson's lack of production comes despite having racked up 43 shots on net over that 14-game stretch, including five versus Colorado on Sunday. Brought in to hopefully give the Penguins an offensive boost from the blue line, the 33-year-old defenseman has managed just 46 points in 70 games, well off his 101-point total from last season. His 4.5 shooting percentage is the lowest mark he's posted in five years.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Completes comeback in overtime
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Karlsson scored a goal on three shots and added two PIM in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Canucks.
Karlsson scored 1:42 into overtime, giving the Penguins their only lead of the game. He has 21 points over his last 23 outings, but his goal Tuesday was his first since Jan. 8. The 33-year-old defenseman is up to 43 points, 135 shots on net, 60 blocked shots, 28 PIM and a plus-10 rating through 56 appearances in a top-four role with ample power-play time.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Gathers power-play helper
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Karlsson recorded a power-play assist in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Kings.
Karlsson set up a Sidney Crosby goal late in the first period. While Karlsson hasn't scored in 13 games, he's logged 10 assists, including four on the power play, in that span. The 33-year-old defenseman is up to 38 points, 121 shots on net, 55 blocked shots and a plus-8 rating through 52 outings overall. He'll likely never come near his 101-point total from last season again, but he still puts up strong offense from the blue line.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Ready to rock
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Karlsson (illness) will be available to play Saturday against Vegas, per Penguins play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff.
Karlsson will be good to go after missing Friday's practice. He has compiled one goal and seven assists during a seven-game point streak. Karlsson has accounted for seven goals, 31 points, 102 shots on net and 44 blocked shots through 42 contests this campaign.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Questionable for Saturday
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Karlsson missed Friday's practice because of an illness, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. He's questionable for Saturday's game against Vegas as a result.
Karlsson has seven goals and 31 points in 42 outings this season. Karlsson's currently riding a seven-game scoring streak in which he's recorded a goal and seven assists. Should Karlsson end up missing the contest, then Ryan Shea might draw into the lineup after being summoned from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Pushes point streak to seven games
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Karlsson had an assist in Monday's 3-0 home victory against the Kraken.
Karlsson extended his point streak to seven games, posting one goal and eight points since flipping the calendar from December to January. The veteran rearguard also added a plus-1 rating, four shots on goal and three blocked shots in his 25:18 of ice time across 25 shifts. He'll look to push the point streak to eight games when the Penguins open a two-game Southwest road trip against the Golden Knights on Saturday.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Extends point streak
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Karlsson garnered an assist versus Vancouver in a 4-3 loss Thursday, continuing his five-game point streak.
Karlsson has registered one goal and five helpers, including a pair of power-play points, during his current streak. Barring a rapid uptick in productivity, the veteran blueliner shouldn't be expected to repeat his 2022-23 numbers when he put up over 100 points to secure the Norris Trophy. Still, the Swede is on pace to challenge for the 60-point threshold as long as he stays healthy.
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Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Two helpers against B's
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Karlsson notched two assists, one on the power play, in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Bruins.
It's his first multi-point effort since Dec. 13, but Karlsson's goal drought now stands at 17 games, a stretch in which he's collected eight helpers. The 33-year-old blueliner hasn't come close to last season's career-best 101-point pace in his first campaign with Pittsburgh, but he's still been reasonably productive with six goals and 26 points through 37 contests.
