Pittsburgh Penguins defender Erik Karlsson is one of the greatest defensemen in the modern NHL era. At age 35, he’s carved out a Hockey Hall of Fame career lined with multiple Norris Trophy wins and closing in on 900 career points. He already sits as the NHL’s 15th-highest scoring defender of all-time.

Despite the incredible career resume, the Penguins defender’s reputation has taken a hit over the past few years. He’s now considered a player past his prime, or is he?

Through the first eight games of the current campaign, Karlsson is turning back the clock and looking like that Norris Trophy-version of himself. It’s giving the Penguins a boost as they start the year in impressive fashion, and it’s also giving the organization the chance to move him for valuable assets before the season ends.

Last year, Karlsson’s deal was an albatross on the Penguins’ salary cap situation. The Pens acquired him after his 101-point season with the San Jose Sharks, expecting him to be the final piece as the organization pursued one more Stanley Cup.

Instead, he posted back-to-back 50+ point seasons in Pittsburgh. Impressive production, yes, but not to the level of his $10 million annual salary.

Now, that $10 million doesn’t feel that crazy for Karlsson. His deal expires after the 2026-2027 season, meaning it’s not a long-term commitment for any potential new team.

Through the first eight games, Karlsson looks electric for the Penguins. He hasn’t recorded a goal, but he has five assists, including two multi-point efforts already. He’s also averaging 20:32 minutes of ice time through the early portion of the season.

The dip in ice time is about three to four minutes less than his average over the last five seasons, but Penguins head coach Dan Muse may have figured out that a few less minutes is ideal for Karlsson at age 35.

The results have been easy to see. According to game data from MoneyPuck, the Penguins are dominating across all strengths when Karlsson and partner Parker Wortherspoon are on the ice. The Pens have scored 70% of the total goals while that duo is on the ice. That’s even more impressive than the expected goals percentage of 61%.

What does every Stanley Cup hopeful covet as the season progresses? The answer is a right-handed defender that they can trust and deploy over huge minutes.

That’s exactly what Karlsson is. The Penguins could even retain a bit of salary to help facilitate a deal, further driving up the price and interest in the star defender.

The Penguins are surprising the NHL right now, collecting a record of 6-2-0 in their first eight contests. Despite the early success, this team is more than likely missing the postseason. Getting a sizable return for Karlsson would be the best move for the organization, and his play so far in 2025-2026 is leading the organization exactly to that result.

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