The Pittsburgh Penguins training camp begun today and they already find themselves at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the league. Star defenseman Erik Karlsson is sidelined with an upper-body injury. He is expected to be day-to-day as the injury does not seem to be serious and is more precautionary.
Penguins Erik Karlsson Sidelined Early
However, it is not a good sign to see a player like Karlsson injured already especially due to his role on the team and age. Erik Karlsson is one of the better defenceman on this team and at 34 years old, his health is a priority for the Penguins. In his first season with the Penguins, Karlsson was above average as he had 56 which was almost half of what he had the season prior. On the bright side, he had his best +/- (4) since the 2018-19 season. Also, he had 30 less giveaways than the season prior as well, so he has been better defensively.
Who Steps Up?
With Karlsson’s injury, someone now must step up in the defensive pairing for the Penguins. Who will get majority of the workload is to be determined, but there are definitely some solid options.
Jack St. Ivany
One of the options who could see time in Karlsson’s absence is Jack St. Ivany. St. Ivany in a small sample size made his NHL debut this past season appearing in 14 games. He had one assist and had a +/- of 0. However, defensively he looked solid as he had 14 blocked shots, 30 hits, five takeaways and just three giveaways.
St. Ivany has the chance with more reps in training camp to continue to develop and prove he belongs at the NHL level. St. Ivany will definitely be closely watched by coaches especially with new defenceman coach David Quinn.
Owen Pickering
Another young prospect worthy of getting more reps is 2022 Penguins first-round pick Owen Pickering. Pickering had a career year with the Swift Current Broncos in the WHL as he had 46 points in 59 career games. In addition, he was a +18. Pickering is someone that will need developing and what better way for that to happen is during training camp.
Most likely, Pickering would start in the AHL in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. However, if the coaching staff is super impressed with his game, maybe he sees some time in the NHL this year.
Sebastian Aho
Another defenceman to look out for is recently signed defenceman Sebastian Aho. Aho is most likely the seventh defenceman on this team. However, he could be primed to take advantage the most in terms of reps and playing time while Karlsson is sidelined. Aho will now be in the mix to earn a starting role. Aho also has the experience factor over St. Ivany, Pickering, and Ludvig. This will be Aho’s sixth season.
John Ludvig
Last but not least, John Ludvig can also see more playing time during training camp. Ludvig also made his NHL debut this past season. Ludvig spent just 33 games with the Penguins as he missed the rest of the season with various injuries. He had five points but also was a -12. He was not afraid to put his body on the line either as he had 33 blocked shots and 72 hits.
One of his biggest weaknesses was possessing the puck as he had nine giveaways compared to just three takeaways. He will need to take better care of the puck and work on his defensive skills. If not, he will most likely be released or sent down to the AHL.
Penguins fans and coaches will be watching how the rest of training camp goes while Karlsson is banged up. Whoever impresses the coaching staff the most, will not only earn a roster spot but also be the sixth or seventh defenceman on the roster.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
