Ottawa Senators: Erik Karlsson Resumes Skating, Nears Return

The off-season has been rather dull for the Ottawa Senators. There haven’t been many moves and most of the time has been spent in concern of the status of injured players. Fortunately, Erik Karlsson has begun skating again.

Yesterday, Karlsson began skating for the first time since he had surgery earlier in the summer. Albeit it was in a non-contact jersey, but none the less this is significant progress. With the rumours that Karlsson may have had to wait until November to return, skating is a very positive sign. However, the date of his return is still very much a question mark.

History

The last time Karlsson had a significant injury was in 2013 when he had a serious Achilles injury. An injury that was expected to keep him out for the rest of the season only kept him out three months. He returned for the end of the season and helped the team make the second round of the playoffs. All this is to say that Karlsson has a history of making quick recoveries.

With a history of quick recoveries the assumption can be made that Karlsson will be ready to play sooner rather than later. Now that he’s skating there’s a good chance that he will will return closer to the beginning of October than the end. This is very crucial for the Sens who find themselves in a very competitive Atlantic Division. Every game will count and having their best player and captain for every game possible is very important.

Next: Ottawa Senators: Logan Brown Shines In Victory Over Montreal

Impact Of Return

The impact of Karlsson potentially coming back early for the Ottawa Senators is interesting. It means that one fewer player will get a chance to prove themselves in the lineup. Players such as Thomas Chabot, Fredrik Claesson, Johnny Oduya, and Mark Borowiecki now have less room for error. They each need to outplay each other for a roster spot this season.