Kyle Dubas reveals reason behind trading for Erik Karlsson, future targets to bolster Pens squad

Modified Aug 07, 2023 17:32 GMT

Kyle Dubas, the President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, recently shed light on the team's decision to trade for star defenseman Erik Karlsson.

The move, which saw Karlsson depart from the San Jose Sharks, marked a significant shift in the NHL landscape.

In a statement to the media, Dubas explained the thought process behind the trade, acknowledging that it was a "fairly lengthy process with San Jose." The primary motivation behind bringing Karlsson to the Penguins was to gain flexibility and improve the team's ability to move the puck out of their own zone.

As one of the most dynamic and offensively gifted defensemen in the league, Karlsson's addition to the Penguins' roster offers a dynamic defense to the team.

Here's what Kyle Dubas said to reporters:

"It was a fairly lengthy process with San Jose... It gains us the flexibility we want. We need to improve our ability to move the puck out of our own zone and Erik does that."

The decision to trade for Karlsson came after the Penguins missed the playoffs in the previous season. Dubas sees this move as an affirmation of the team's commitment to contending for a championship. Despite potential doubts from outsiders, Dubas expressed strong belief in the group and sees it as his responsibility to lead the way toward success:

"It's an affirmation - we have the chance and opportunity to contend for a championship... I know there will be a lot of people to doubt the group... We have our belief and that's on me to lead the way."

Kyle Dubas is content with the roster and his update on Jake Guentzel

However, despite the blockbuster acquisition of Karlsson, Kyle Dubas does not anticipate making any more major moves in the near future. He emphasized that promises cannot be made in the ever-evolving landscape of the NHL.

With training camp just six weeks away, Dubas appears content with the current roster, suggesting that this will be the group moving forward.

In addition to discussing the Erik Karlsson trade, Dubas provided an update on the health of winger Jake Guentzel. He revealed that Guentzel had ended the year with an injury, and the team closely monitored his condition.

When it became apparent that the injury wasn't healing as expected, the decision was made for Guentzel to undergo surgery. Dubas expressed confidence that the surgery would get Guentzel back to 100% and contribute significantly to the team's offense.