Ottawa Senators: Awaiting The Return Of Erik Karlsson
The Ottawa Senators have had a decent start to their season, picking up four of a possible six points. However, they’ve only picked up one win. With their defence in tatters the team is eagerly awaiting the return of their injured defencemen.
At the start of the season the Ottawa Senators were without Erik Karlsson. Still recovering from surgery following last season’s playoff run he has not been available yet. In the first game of the season Johnny Oduya went down with an injury and was replaced by Ben Harpur. In the second game of the season against Detroit, Harpur went down as well. This has caused some serious problems with the Sens defensive depth. They were forced into recalling Thomas Chabot and Christian Jaros, both of which were expected to spend time developing in the AHL this season.
Not Rushing His Return
Despite all the injuries many fans are concerned with the return of just one player, Erik Karlsson. The superstar defenceman and captain of the Ottawa Senators has been out since the start of the season. Since even before the season started Karlsson and the coaching staff said they would not rush his return. They will wait until he is one hundred percent healthy to bring him back.
Staying Afloat
Now with the Sens performing well enough to stay afloat in the standings, it has been announced that Karlsson will not join the team on their road trip. This means that he will not play in the team’s next two games. The earliest day that he could possibly return is October 17th when the Sens host the Vancouver Canucks.
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A Huge Boost
With the Ottawa Senators picking up four out of a possible six points in their first three games they have proven that they can stay competitive without Erik Karlsson. As a result, the team is less inclined to rush his return. This is a good thing as having Karlsson fully healthy should be the team’s top priority. If the Sens are in a playoff spot before his return they can do some serious damage when he returns.