Connect with us

Pittsburg, PA

Penguins’ Erik Karlsson Could Become Huge Trade Piece

Published

on

Penguins’ Erik Karlsson Could Become Huge Trade Piece


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.

Advertisement

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.

Hockey players celebrate goal score

Apr 8, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) congratulates defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) on his 200th career NHL goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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%.

Advertisement

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.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Pittsburg, PA

Blanche says DOJ

Published

on

Blanche says DOJ


Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Tuesday that the Justice Department is not moving forward with its $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that has become a major obstacle to the GOP agenda in Congress.

“We are not moving forward with the fund. Period,” he told lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee.



Source link

Continue Reading

Pittsburg, PA

Luke Bryan concert expected to bring thousands of fans to Pittsburgh-area farm

Published

on

Luke Bryan concert expected to bring thousands of fans to Pittsburgh-area farm


On Sept. 17, multi-platinum country music star Luke Bryan will bring his Farm Tour to 1846 Farms near Latrobe.

Westmoreland County is no stranger to large outdoor concerts. Some may remember the Rolling Rock Town Fair in the early 2000s, while others may recall Luke Bryan’s stop at a farm in South Huntingdon Township just two years ago. Now the country music superstar is returning to the area.

The Unity Township farm’s general manager, Aleisha Stas, gave KDKA a tour of the family farm, which dates back to before the Civil War. She says Bryan’s team first reached out after finding the farm on social media, but she says at first, she and her family thought it was too good to be true.

“This was around April Fools, so we thought it was an April Fools prank,” Stas said. “My whole family, we were like, there’s no way this is about to happen. But this has been incredible.”

Advertisement

Stas says Bryan’s team is handling everything logistically from parking and bathrooms to deciding exactly where the concert will be staged.

“If we have it on this side of the property, we can hold 12,000 people,” Stas said. “And if we have it on (the other side) of the property, it can be up to 20,000. But we have not determined that yet.”

Many of those decisions will be made as September gets closer. In the meantime, however, the farm is holding off on planting in certain fields until the final concert location is selected.

And while hosting thousands of people may sound a little intimidating, Stas says her family is excited to welcome fans to the farm for what they hope will be a memorable night.

“Obviously, we’ve never had this many people here before, so it will be a new thing for all of us, but we are not worried,” said Stas. “Luke Bryan’s team are experts with this, and I think it will go great.”

Advertisement

Tickets for this concert are currently on sale, and they will run you about $77 per person, plus tax for general admission.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Pittsburg, PA

2025 Steelers Offseason Recall: Garrett shutdown as Pittsburgh bullied Browns in Week 6 | Steel City Underground

Published

on

2025 Steelers Offseason Recall: Garrett shutdown as Pittsburgh bullied Browns in Week 6 | Steel City Underground


Steel City Underground presents post-game takeaways in our Steelers Offseason Recall series, revisiting key moments from the 2025 season and how they shaped the year that followed.

AFC North football rarely looks pretty, and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium followed that familiar formula. What started as a defensive slugfest on a torn-up field eventually turned into another frustrating afternoon for Cleveland as Pittsburgh pulled away for a 23-9 victory.

The win improved the Steelers to 4-1 and extended their remarkable regular season home winning streak against the Browns to 22 games. More importantly, it reinforced an early-season identity centered around disruptive defense, efficient quarterback play, and winning the battle in the trenches.

Advertisement

Looking back, these were the biggest surprises from Pittsburgh’s victory.

Embed from Getty Images

Jalen Ramsey stole the show from Watt and Garrett

Nobody expected Jalen Ramsey to leave Week 6 with more sacks than T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett combined, but that’s exactly what happened.

Ramsey entered the game after missing practice time earlier in the week and proceeded to deliver one of the more unexpected stat lines of the season. The veteran defensive back recorded two sacks and six combined tackles while frequently helping confuse Cleveland’s protection schemes.

Meanwhile, Watt recorded half a sack while Garrett failed to register one entirely.

Ramsey even admitted afterward that the performance surprised him. His production highlighted an emerging trend within Pittsburgh’s defense: pressure was coming from everywhere.

Advertisement

Embed from Getty Images

The Steelers defense overwhelmed Cleveland’s offense

While Ramsey grabbed headlines, the collective defensive effort suffocated Cleveland for most of the afternoon.

The Steelers finished with six sacks as Nick Herbig led the team with two sacks while Ramsey added two of his own. Derrick Harmon, Watt, and Alex Highsmith also got involved as Pittsburgh repeatedly collapsed the pocket around rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Gabriel never looked comfortable. The rookie completed 29 of 59 passes for 221 yards and struggled once Cleveland became one-dimensional after falling behind. He finished with a passer rating of 66.3 while absorbing constant punishment.

Pittsburgh didn’t rely solely on edge pressure either. Defensive backs blitzed, interior rushers collapsed protection, and disguised looks forced Cleveland into mistakes.

Perhaps equally impressive was how the Steelers handled Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. Entering the matchup, Judkins had averaged 4.6 yards per carry and looked like one of Cleveland’s few consistent offensive weapons. Pittsburgh erased that advantage, holding him to a season-low 36 rushing yards on 12 carries while limiting him to 3.0 yards per attempt.

Advertisement

Through five games played after their bye week, the Steelers had already amassed 20 sacks and were rapidly becoming one of football’s most disruptive defenses.

Embed from Getty Images

Myles Garrett disappeared

The Browns needed a game-changing performance from Myles Garrett. Instead, Pittsburgh’s offensive line turned in one of its best performances of the season.

Garrett moved around the formation throughout the game, but he spent much of the afternoon lined up across from Broderick Jones. With occasional help early and more one-on-one opportunities later, Jones and company neutralized Cleveland’s biggest defensive weapon.

Garrett finished with only two combined tackles. He failed to record a solo tackle, sack, forced fumble, quarterback hit, or pass defended.

Keeping Garrett quiet fundamentally changed how Cleveland could attack Rodgers and allowed Pittsburgh’s offense to remain balanced throughout the afternoon.

Advertisement

Embed from Getty Images

Rodgers stayed efficient and upright

Aaron Rodgers didn’t deliver a vintage statistical masterpiece: he simply controlled the game.

The veteran quarterback completed 21 of 30 passes for 235 yards while distributing the football efficiently and trusting Arthur Smith‘s offensive approach. Rodgers leaned heavily on his tight ends early before taking advantage of favorable matchups later in the game.

His biggest moments arrived in the second half. Rodgers connected with Connor Heyward for a touchdown strike before finding D.K. Metcalf for another score that helped create separation on the scoreboard.

Equally important, Rodgers stayed upright. For only the second time that season, Pittsburgh allowed zero sacks. Cleveland hit Rodgers only three times despite him attempting 30 passes.

Advertisement

Compare that with Dillon Gabriel, who absorbed six sacks and 16 total quarterback hits.

The offensive line, aided by extra blocking looks featuring Spencer Anderson, kept Cleveland’s front from controlling the game and allowed Rodgers to operate comfortably. Metcalf benefited from the protection, turning four receptions into 95 yards while the Steelers spread touches across Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth, Roman Wilson, Darnell Washington, and Heyward.

Meanwhile, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, and Kaleb Johnson combined for 89 rushing yards to maintain offensive balance. Pittsburgh averaged 5.8 yards per play and controlled possession despite both teams having the same number of drives.

Embed from Getty Images

The officiating nearly stole the spotlight

Not everything about the victory came without frustration. Ron Torbert’s officiating crew inserted itself into the game repeatedly as Pittsburgh absorbed ten accepted penalties during an afternoon filled with questionable decisions.

Several pass interference rulings frustrated players and fans alike.

Jerry Jeudy appeared to drag Brandin Echols down by both shoulder pads on one play, yet the result went against Pittsburgh. Later, Browns cornerback Denzel Ward appeared to pin D.K. Metcalf’s arm without drawing a flag.

Advertisement

Even Watt found himself repeatedly flagged for alignment penalties despite checking positioning with officials beforehand, leading to visible frustration from Mike Tomlin on the sideline.

The most controversial moment arrived on special teams. Ke’Shawn Williams appeared to spark the crowd with a 47-yard punt return before an illegal blindside block penalty on Jabrill Peppers erased the play. The penalty not only wiped away field position but also backed Pittsburgh up an additional ten yards.

Despite the officiating frustrations, the Steelers remained composed, and by the end of the afternoon, that discipline, paired with suffocating defense and efficient offense, delivered another divisional win and continued building momentum heading into a critical AFC North stretch.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending