At the expense of ridiculous ga/60 for a guy that doesn't sniff the PK. The goals allowed while he is on ice is as historic as his offense.
Right now his offensive contributions are outweighing his defensive limitations. His contribution is net positive. Simply put, he adds wins.
Moreover, I think Karlsson could thrive in a culture built around defense. With Larkin and Seider taking the bulk of the top matchups Karlsson can feast on 2nd and 3rd lines + PP. Pair him with Maatta who has done an outstanding job helping Hronek stabilize his defensive game (plays a similar game to Methot did in Ottawa) and you could have two elite D pairs for 50 minutes a night.
Lalonde built a structure based on the Forwards supporting the D which gives Karlsson the ability to be more free willing with support. The more I think about it, the more I want Yzerman to go crazy with this move haha.
Imo, the two most important questions are:
1) Can Detroit offer enough value without trading Kasper, Edvinsson, or Raymond (obviously not Larkin or Seider)? I am skeptical but Hronek + 2023 1st would be of substantial value to start.
2) What will it take to extend Hronek after next season? If it's less than 7 million the trade off might not be worth it. As the number starts to approach 8 million + I start leaning towards Karlsson at 11.5.
Last edited: