‘Actions must match ambitions’: Dubas puts the lumber to Erik Karlsson

CRANBERRY, Pa. — This article originally appeared on PGHHockeyNOW.com.

It would seem the Pittsburgh Penguins and Erik Karlsson are stuck with each other, but there may be some lingering frustrations.

The moment Friday was as close to honest as a general manager could be without levying heavy criticism after another failed season that ended in the Penguins’ third-straight playoff miss.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas buried a few nuggets in his more than 30-minute press conference Monday, but the moment that leaped from the page was his plain-spoken criticism of defenseman Erik Karlsson and a slight bristle at Karlsson’s expression of frustration.

Dubas said that as part of the exit meetings on Friday, he and Karlsson had a lengthy meeting. Dubas seemed a little put off by Karlsson’s comments and disappointment.

Dubas put the responsibility back on Karlsson.

“Erik, I think, is and will forever be a polarizing figure. While I don’t know his exact comments, my view would be that we expect him to be one of the people who pulls us from where we’re at and into contention,” Dubas said. “I had a long meeting with Erik on Friday. My push to him would be that his actions have to match his ambitions. That’s in consistency, preparation, and training, like every other player on the team.”

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