Does Erik Karlsson Make Sense for the Detroit Red Wings?

It is genuinely the lull of the NHL Offseason. There are no arbitration hearings, as all the players have new contracts. There are only a handful of RFAs, including Mason McTavish, Marco Rossi, and Luke Hughes, looking for new deals. However, there is some speculation about the fate of Erik Karlsson with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Dating back to last season, there has been talk about the Penguins potentially moving on from Karlsson. He has never really fit into the Penguins’ system. Though his numbers are not terrible, Karlsson is not the 100-point player he was with the San Jose Sharks. But the speculation grows, and one of the teams linked to Erik Karlsson has been the Detroit Red Wings.

As Jim Biringer of NHLRumors.com and Full Press Hockey discussed with Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now on a recent episode of the Full Press NHL Podcast, is there a fit for Erik Karlsson on the Detroit Red Wings?

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

NHL Rumors: Carter Hart and Erik Karlsson

Jim Biringer: “I saw a couple of articles drop that you had, where they were talking about Erik Karlsson, Nazem Kadri’s names have come out, and mentioned the Wings. But do you really see fits with those two players on that team? I mean, it doesn’t feel like Kadri is going anywhere. But seems like Karlsson and Detroit seems to always come up.”

Bob Duff: “I just don’t see the fit with Karlsson, partially because of the salary, but mostly because, at this stage of his career where he’s going to help a team mostly is going to be on the power play. And the Red Wings had a tremendous power play last year. So why would you want to mess with that? I think their problem is five-on-five goals, and I still don’t know where they’re going to get five-on-five goals this year, because they really didn’t bring in anything other than (James) van Reimsdyk.

But again, he’s a guy that has pretty much made hay on the power play, like he’s not going to score. I don’t think a lot of five-on-five goals. So I just don’t see, and from Karlsson’s viewpoint, why would he want to come here? Like, if you’re at this stage of your career, don’t you want to try to win the Stanley Cup, and you don’t want to go to a team that, even if they made the playoffs, they’re still probably quite a few years away from where you could say they were a cup contender.”

As Duff mentions, the Red Wings don’t want to move their top prospects, which is something a team like the Penguins would like in exchange for Karlsson. Not to mention, why mess with a good thing? Similar to the Penguins power play, where the units were clicking on all cylinders, Pittsburgh took a step back on the man advantage when Karlsson was added to the fold. There is only so much puck to go around. Just look what happened in San Jose when Brent Burns and Karlsson were there together.

NHL Rumors: The Erik Karlsson Trade Speculation Continues

The fit isn’t there because, realistically, are the Detroit Red Wings a playoff team this season? If they are, maybe they revisit it at the trade deadline, but if they aren’t, why would Karlsson want to go to Detroit?

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