One year after winning his first Norris Trophy, Erik Karlsson was well on his was to another Norris and possibly even some Hart consideration before the left skate of Matt Cooke changed everything.
May 24, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) looks to clear the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period in game five of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 6-2 to close out the series. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
A severed Achilles tendon derailed his season, and a remarkable recovery to get into action at the end of the season, playing in the final 3 games as well as all 10 playoff games. Although in the 13 games he notched 12 points, but it became painfully clear he was not the same player he was before the injury.
While such an injury would have shelved a normal player for the summer, Karlsson’s determination to return to action showed his dedication to his game. That dedication will no doubt result in a return to form from the beginning of the upcoming season. After all, he can’t be happy with people pointing to this play against Pittsburgh as being representative of his defensive ability.
A lot of Karlsson haters pointed to that play to illustrate his defensive deficiencies, but really, playing on one leg was definitely a factor.
Now in terms of over/under, Karlsson’s biggest asset is point production but he will also be looked at to keep up with his defensive improvement.
And one final question, rather than a yes/no, have your vote on whether or not he can recapture his hardware.