Elliotte Friedman links Pittsburgh Penguins' $92,000,000 star D-man to Dallas Stars

Hockey analyst Elliotte Friedman ignited speculation about Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson’s future. Speaking during his “32 Thoughts” podcast on Sportsnet on Monday, Friedman brought up the Swedish player as a plausible target given the Penguins' current position near the bottom of the league.

“Here’s my theory, Erik Karlsson,” Friedman said. “Again, I want to stress, theory. Okay? He played really well at the 4 Nations … You know who I could see him thriving with? Dallas.”

Friedman made it clear that this was just a thought exercise and that there were no rumors about Karlsson leaving the Penguins. He also said that the terms of Karlsson’s eight-year, $92-million contract were big obstacles to a trade. Karlsson has no trade clause, so any trade would have to be done with his approval.

“It’s a big cap hit,” Friedman said. “Remember his cash really goes down this summer, especially after his bonus is paid. Now, maybe whoever goes and gets him waits until after that.”

Per Spotrac, Karlsson’s contract earned him $11 million last season. However, he is only owed $9 million in cash at the end of the current season.

One reason Friedman gave for why Dallas might be open to signing Karlsson was because of his offensive prowess.

“The thing with Dallas is … boy do they defend. Great defensive team,” Friedman said.

He implied that the Stars might need to shore up their offense ahead of the playoffs, which would lead them to Karlsson.

Pittsburgh Penguins suffer back-to-back losses

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was in for an unpleasant shock this weekend after the euphoria of winning the 4 Nations Face-Off championship on Thursday.

The Penguins suffered defeats on Saturday and Sunday against the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers respectively.

The Penguins slumped to an 8-3 loss against the league-leading Capitals in their first fixture after the break. New York Rangers center J.T. Miller scored twice on Sunday night to help his team beat the Penguins 5-3.

Friedman, however, talked about Crosby’s recent injury struggles which almost led to him missing out on the best-on-best 4 Nations Face-Off.

“I could not believe he played on the weekend. I was shocked,” Friedman said. “I think it’s incredible. I know there’s other people out there, including I would bet the Penguins, who can’t believe he’s playing.”

Friedman lauded the 37-year-old Crosby’s commitment and toughness.