Pierre LeBrun just reported that the Penguins and Erik Karlsson's camp will likely sit down in January to map out next steps.
That camp is led by power-broker agent Craig Oster. According to LeBrun, the two sides have communicated strongly throughout, and Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has a lot of respect for the veteran defenseman.
LeBrun added that there's no question this will be handled in an orderly way. That's a calm message, and it lands at a moment when Pittsburgh is anything but calm.
The Penguins are 7-10-2 and sit 27th in the NHL. Dubas has been listening on his veterans, and Karlsson was the most obvious chip when we looked at Erik Karlsson as a trade candidate on Wednesday.
Karlsson is in the final season of his contract, which carries a cap hit of $11.5 million and expires as an unrestricted free agent deal after 2026-27. So any January conversation is about more than a possible trade. It's about what comes next for a 36-year-old who has been in Pittsburgh since that deal began.
The tone of the report matters. Nobody is describing a standoff, a trade request or a messy breakup.
Is an Erik Karlsson trade off the table for now?
LeBrun's report doesn't say that. It speaks of next steps, not of a deal, and it doesn't rule anything in or out.
What it does suggest is that nothing is imminent. A January meeting means the Penguins and Karlsson's side are not rushing into a decision this month, and that should cool some of the noise.
For Dubas, that patience makes sense. Karlsson has 19 points in 19 games, 16 of them assists, and 7 of those points have come on the power play. That's a defenseman who can still move the puck, and the production only helps whatever route the Penguins choose.
The minus-8 rating is the other side of it, and a contender calling about him will notice. The Penguins' goal differential of minus-6 shows he isn't the only one struggling.
Dubas has been willing to put prices on other veterans too. Elliotte Friedman reported that the GM named his terms on Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, which fits a team preparing for a bigger shift.
Karlsson looks like the biggest piece of that puzzle, and Pittsburgh appears to want to deal with him on its own timeline. The Penguins host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, with the January talks still weeks away.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
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