‘He’s a special player’: Can Erik Karlsson deliver another Stanley Cup to the Penguins?

CRANBERRY, Pa. — Sidney Crosby couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

He knew the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to do something dramatic in the offseason after missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons. The team’s management, including new president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas, would occasionally let Crosby in on their plans during the summer, including potential trade targets. Which was only appropriate, given that any moves they made were in service of sliding a fourth Stanley Cup ring onto the captain’s hand.

During one conversation with Crosby, the Penguins mentioned they were pursuing a rather intriguing name: San Jose Sharks star defenseman Erik Karlsson.

“I was just excited, you know? He’s a special player,” Crosby told ESPN. “But you try to manage your expectations. I mean, it was far from happening. I think three teams that were in on it. I was hearing Carolina. I was hearing Seattle. So I didn’t get my hopes up too much.”

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was collaborating with Dubas on ways to reshape the team around Crosby. He didn’t expect Karlsson to be an option.

“We felt we needed a legitimate top-four defenseman. We felt like that was a priority that we needed to address in order to put our team in a better position to contend,” he said. “I didn’t envision acquiring the Norris Trophy winner. I didn’t see that one coming. For me to sit here and say, ‘Yeah, I expect to get a player like Erik Karlsson’ … I’d be lying to you if I told you that.”

Crosby understood the obstacles in acquiring Karlsson. Could the Penguins outbid other suitors? Could they make the necessary financial moves to create the salary cap space for Karlsson’s considerable contract: $11.5 million against the salary cap through 2026-27? Would Karlsson waive his full no-movement clause for a trade to Pittsburgh?

That last obstacle was in fact the simplest to traverse.

“I’ve been pretty transparent about it: This was a hockey decision and nothing else. And if you view it that way, then there’s not been many better places, I think, than being a part of the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Karlsson told ESPN. “I mean, I battled these guys my whole career. I don’t think that they have to sell me on anything.”

On Aug. 6, a three-team trade among the Penguins, Sharks and Montreal Canadiens took care of the cap complications and delivered Karlsson to Pittsburgh. A three-time Norris Trophy winner, with 761 points in 921 career games with Ottawa and San Jose. The player who could lead the Penguins back not only to the postseason but potentially to another Stanley Cup celebration.

If all of this works, of course.