Pittsburgh Hockey Now's Dave Molinari reports that he is the Pittsburgh Penguins' star defenseman. eric carlson He will play for Sweden at the IIHF World Championship to be held in the Czech Republic. The tournament, to be held from May 10 to May 26, will extend the 33-year-old's season after the Penguins were eliminated from playoff contention six days earlier.
Karlsson had a disappointing first season in Pittsburgh, but played extremely well during Pittsburgh's final push to make the playoffs. Although they ultimately fell short of qualifying for the playoffs, the Penguins' late performance as the team tallied three goals and seven assists in the final eight games of the regular season, as Karlsson finally seemed to be finding his offensive rhythm. provided reason for optimism.
- San Jose Sharks forward Michael Granlund He will reportedly play for Team Finland at the World Championship (via Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now). The 32-year-old took a significant pay cut last summer when he was traded as part of Erik Karlsson's move to Pittsburgh, but had a bounce-back season with the Sharks, posting 12 goals and 48 assists in 69 games. Ta. His possession numbers continued to be low, but he was a strong part of the Sharks' power play, scoring on the man advantage and dishing out 22 assists. Granlund appeared to be a buyout candidate last year, but he has one year left on his $5 million contract and could give the Sharks an asset before next year's trade deadline if he doesn't move this summer.
- James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now reports that he is a forward for the New Jersey Devils. jesper bratt He declined an invitation from Sweden to participate in the world championships due to injury. The 25-year-old played in all 82 games for the Devils this season, posting 27 goals and 56 assists in his first year. Despite his illness, Blatt is not expected to be sidelined for long, which is good news for New Jersey as he enters the second year of an eight-year, $63 million contract.
