Dubas Puts the Lumber to Erik Karlsson; ‘Actions Must Match Ambitions’

CRANBERRY — It would seem the Pittsburgh Penguins and Erik Karlsson are stuck with each other, but there may be some lingering frustrations.

The moment Friday was as close to honest as a general manager could be without levying heavy criticism after another failed season that ended in the Penguins’ third-straight playoff miss.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas buried a few nuggets in his more than 30-minute press conference Monday, but the moment that leaped from the page was his plain-spoken criticism of defenseman Erik Karlsson and a slight bristle at Karlsson’s expression of frustration.

Dubas said that as part of the exit meetings on Friday, he and Karlsson had a lengthy meeting. Dubas seemed a little put off by Karlsson’s comments and disappointment.

Dubas put the responsibility back on Karlsson.

“Erik, I think, is and will forever be a polarizing figure. While I don’t know his exact comments, my view would be that we expect him to be one of the people who pulls us from where we’re at and into contention,” Dubas said. “I had a long meeting with Erik on Friday. My push to him would be that his actions have to match his ambitions. That’s in consistency, preparation, and training, like every other player on the team.”

In other words, if you’re angry or frustrated by the results, you bear more responsibility than most players.

Karlsson missed all of training camp, and the defenseman admitted the early part of the season was a struggle for him. He didn’t feel his best and struggled.

Read More: Frustrated Karlsson Speaks of Uncertain Penguins Future; ‘Whatever Happens…’

Overall, his offensive production looks solid. He had 53 points, including 11 goals in 82 games, but that’s well down from his 100-point season that earned him a Norris Trophy and a trade to the Penguins two summers ago. His minus-24 rating is deep red ink, too.

Karlsson was visibly frustrated when he spoke to the media on clean-out day last Friday. He didn’t publicly ask for a trade as he did in San Jose, but he also didn’t close the door to the possibility, either.

At the risk of stating the obvious, Dubas noted multiple times that the Penguins’ defense must improve, and even saddled the blue line with some of the goaltending struggles, too.

However, he reserved specifics for Karlsson, who has two years remaining on a contract that carries a $10 million salary cap hit to the Penguins (San Jose is picking up about $1.5 million of the $11.5 million total).

The Penguins and Dubas, who made Karlsson the centerpiece of his attempted team revamp during his first summer on the job, need more. Much more. Dubas, especially, seemed to bear the disappointment of not getting Karlsson’s best consistently.

“He’s shown throughout the year that he has another level to him. (He did so) at times playing for us, certainly playing for Sweden at the Four Nations Face-Off, he was a player that you would watch and say, ‘this guy can help any team not only contend, but probably win.’ But it’s emblematic of the rest of the group as well,” said Dubas, pulling back the reins of criticism.”There were moments of great play with too many inconsistencies, and we have to push him to get there. And that’s the expectation that’s dictated by his talent level and the impact he can make.”

Karlsson was magnificent for Team Sweden at the Four Nations Face-Off in February and was one of the stars of the tournament. Yet his elevated play was seen only sporadically while wearing a Penguins sweater.

Read More: Insider Nuggets: Why Karlsson Lit Up Team Sweden (+)

That juxtaposition of Team Sweden’s version of Karlsson vs. the Penguins’ version clearly struck a negative chord with the GM.

“It’s a joint venture. So, yes, part of it is on the team, part is on Erik,” Dubas concluded. “We have to find our way through.”

From the comments, one could also extrapolate greatly diminished trade possibilities, as Dubas clearly spoke of a future together and finding a way to get more out of Karlsson, rather than any future uncertainty. Perhaps it won’t be Karlsson’s choice if he remains with the Penguins.

Perhaps the circumstances will dictate, which could be just the beginning of the next Penguins drama.