Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby Heaps Praise On ‘Special Player’

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has impressed with the play of Erik Karlsson.

Karlsson has been one of the best defensemen in the NHL for years, but this season, he has turned back the clock. The Swede has been stellar offensively and defensively, and Crosby has noticed as he heaped praise on Karlsson, calling him a special player.

“He’s been great,” Crosby said, via NHL.com, in a piece published on Thursday. “He’s a special player. He’s someone who can make something out of nothing. He’s a ton of fun to play with and for people here to get the opportunity to see him up close live, I think just all the things that he can do out there and what he can create and the career that he’s had, I’m sure that it means a lot for him to have this opportunity. But he’s had a great start to the season.”

Karlsson is in the seventh year of his eight-year, $92 million deal. He’s in his third season with the Penguins and has been stellar this season.

Karlsson has recorded one goal and 11 assists for 12 points in 17 games. But his defensive play has taken a massive step forward, as he wants to show his well-rounded game to get a spot on Sweden’s Olympic team.

“Ever since it got announced, I think everybody who’s on that radar, it’s something that we all want to be a part of and be able to do,” Karlsson said. “On the day-to-day basis, I don’t think you walk around and think about it too much, but in the big picture, it’s, obviously, something that we’re all striving for.”

The Penguins are taking on the Nashville Predators on Friday at 2 p.m. ET in Stockholm, Sweden, as part of the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden.

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