CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Sidney Crosby couldn't believe what he was hearing.
He knew the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to do something dramatic in the offseason after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons. The team's management, including new president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas, would occasionally let Crosby in on their plans during the summer, including potential trade targets. Which was only appropriate, given that any moves they made were in service of sliding a fourth Stanley Cup ring onto the captain's hand.
During one conversation with Crosby, the Penguins mentioned they were pursuing a rather intriguing name: San Jose Sharks star defenseman Erik Karlsson.