Erik Karlsson thinks Penguins can ‘Win the Cup’
Only shortly after being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, defenseman Erik Karlsson has some high expectations for his new squad. The expectation: Win the Stanley Cup with steel city.
Karlsson has been regarded as one of the best defensemen in the NHL for some time now. He has it all you want in a defenseman: Points, goals, assists and can defend at a very high level. Karlsson has all the solo accolades in the world, but not the team ones. The only thing Karlsson doesn’t have on his resume is a Stanley Cup, the pinnacle of a team award in hockey. Now, after getting his wish granted, there could be no stopping the Penguins.
“I was very excited about the opportunity to go somewhere I could be on a team where we’re contending,” he said Wednesday during his introductory press conference. “It was a lot of ups and downs and hard to get a grasp of where things were at. It was exciting when I heard they were interested. I’m happy it worked out in the end.”
“You have a lot of strong players that have been here for a long time with extreme success,” Karlsson said. “I am excited to work alongside players like that, learn from them. … We’re all trying to do the same thing – win hockey games and win the Cup.”
“I’ve played against Pittsburgh many times, and lost to them a few times when they went on to win the ultimate prize,” he said. “That’s something they know how to do here, and the players that they’ve had here for a long time are still really good players.”
Last season, the 33-year-old defenseman produced 25 goals and 101 points, the highest point total of his career. Karlsson would go onto win the Norris Trophy with the Sharks, the award given to the NHL’s best defenseman.
Now, with the addition of Karlsson, does the three-time Norris Trophy lift the Penguins to cup contenders? Let us know in the comments down below.
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