Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson won’t be skating this weekend due to an upper-body injury, reports Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
This is a setback since he had been skating earlier in the week. Coach Mike Sullivan said they’ll reassess his plan next week. It seems likely the 34-year-old might miss the season opener, which would be tough for the team.
Karlsson didn’t match his 2022-23 numbers with Pittsburgh last year but still managed 56 points in 82 games while playing over 24 minutes per night. Losing that kind of production, even temporarily, will be hard to replace .
Other Injury News:
Wild winger Matt Boldy skated Saturday for the first time since getting hurt last weekend, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. Coach John Hynes expects Boldy to get several full practices before the regular season starts. Last season, Boldy hit a career-best with 69 points in 75 games and will play a key role as Minnesota aims for the playoffs in 2024-25.
The Maple Leafs are hopeful that Jani Hakanpaa will join the main group next week, says Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. Toronto signed him on free agency’s opening day, but knee concerns shortened his deal to one year and delayed its registration by over two months. So far, Hakanpaa has been practicing with minor leaguers, raising doubts about his availability for opening night. If he can practice with the main squad and maybe play a preseason game, he might be ready for opening night.
Fans might worry about how these injuries will affect their teams’ chances early in the season.
Injuries are always unpredictable and can change team dynamics quickly. What do you think? Will these players make it back soon?
