Ottawa Senators Mid-Term Grades – Goalies & Defensemen
Dec 21, 2013; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators Pdefenseman Erik Karlsson (65) controls the puck in the third period against the Phoenix Coyotes at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Coyotes defeated the Senators 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Expectation: Coming off a serious Achilles injury that caused him to miss more than 30 games, fans and the team wanted to see Karlsson regain the form that made him the Norris Trophy winner. He was expected to continue the upward trend of play in his own end as well as being a leader offensively from the blue line.
In The First Half: Karlsson has been a bit of Jeckyll and Hyde this season. The organization has to be delighted to see his progression in skating and leading the rush like the Karlsson of old. He leads the team with 37 points in 41 games, playing over 27 minutes per game. On the other hand, his own end has been another story. He is also like the Karlsson of old, meaning he is back to the form of his first couple of seasons. There has to be more attention paid to the defensive game, and his mistakes tend not to be the physical ones, but mental ones that cannot be excused.
GRADE: B
Potential To Improve: Karlsson showed over the last two seasons that although he will never be considered a defensive juggernaut, he was adequate and made up for mistakes with speed and smarts. Attention to detail and thinking smarter will allow him to get back to the level that does not make him a liability defensively.