Is Erik Karlsson back to Elite?

[dirtydanglez]

need to be consistent to be elite

 

[bobholly39]

I always found it super weird how he declined so early in age, even with injury history....every season for the past few in SJ I though he had a legitimate chance to rise back to Norris candidate at start of year.

Truth be told - this is probably the first season where I had completely given up on him and written him off as an elite defender.

I voted option 1 because it would be great to see - but it's obviously too soon to tell.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

He's still affected, badly, by his injuries - he's turning like a truck sometimes. But, he's still awesome offensively, hope someone can pick up his contract (retained)

I'm a big believer in mind-body connection and it's like he's still mentally trying to do things that his body won't let him

But as you point out, it feels like it's only sometimes. Some shifts he looks like he was the same guy from the mid 2010s, sometimes he looks like he's turning with a rudder. That has to be frustrating.

 

[Xspyrit]

It depends what is your definition of "elite"

He's probably not Top-10 anymore but very much in the tier below

Playing on a bad team while being diminished by injuries and making too much money hasn't helped his "reputation" but it's mostly just noise, something that people who really know about hockey don't listen to.

Didn't like the poll options though, hard to reflect the reality with these

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

No. Strong offensively as usual however.

 

[Ben White]

need to be consistent to be elite

Yeah that remains to be seen. As far as I’ve heard and seen he’s been elite so far and we need to see if he can keep it up. “Back to elite” gives room for interpretation.

 

[Mattb124]

Somewhere between 2 goals and 2 A1 in a 23 second span vs the Ducks tonight.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

Elite? Karlsson is a generational D-man. Just because he was injury-plagued for a few seasons, doesn't change his status in the history books.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Looks like the new knee is turning out really good.

 

[Ben White]

Looks like the new knee is turning out really good.

I have to say it. Karlsson is playing absurdly good.

 

[DanyHeatley]

he’s the best












around !

 

[olli]

Too bad he’s stuck on a shit team like he has been most of his career

 

[koyvoo]

Erik Karlsson has never not been elite. For a variety of reasons, he hasn’t had elite production for a few seasons. But he is and was a supreme talent.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

EK is back to being otherworldly.

 

[Ben White]

EK is back to being otherworldly.

True da

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

30pts so far for EK, very impressed.

 

[Ben White]

30pts so far for EK, very impressed.

I’m even more impressed with how he’s playing than with his actual points. He’s playing absolutely lights out.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

I’m even more impressed with how he’s playing than with his actual points. He’s playing absolutely lights out.

Its almost like he's turned back the clock 5 years.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Its almost like he's turned back the clock 5 years.

Or playing injury-free.

 

[CanadienShark]

Or playing injury-free.

And Burns-free... Organization had a massive overhaul (not exactly for the best), but it's kind of like the Sens with prime Karlsson. A Norris level d-man, a few great forwards, but nothing else.

 

[Miro4Norris]

He's still the guy whose 4point night means nothing as his poor defense costs you as many goals.
Proof:

 

[Elvs]

Non physical quickly became "bad at defense", "weak", etc

This has nothing to do with it, at all. Slavin is widely considered to be one of the best defensemen, if not the best, defensively and he's not very physical at all. The same was true about Nicklas Lidstrom and Scott Niedermayer.

Karlsson has bad defensive rep because of, compared to other elite defensemen, he's just not very good defensively. The fact that he has to rack up at least 70 points (and then I'm being generous) in order to be anywhere near the Norris conversation pretty much says it all.

 

[Ben White]

This has nothing to do with it, at all. Slavin is widely considered to be one of the best defensemen, if not the best, defensively and he's not very physical at all. The same was true about Nicklas Lidstrom and Scott Niedermayer.

Karlsson has bad defensive rep because of, compared to other elite defensemen, he's just not very good defensively. The fact that he has to rack up at least 70 points (and then I'm being generous) in order to be anywhere near the Norris conversation pretty much says it all.

Nah, he can be very good defensively, which we saw in 2017, he’s just not putting in the effort defensively this season it seems. But, we shouldn’t forget the importance of controlled zone exits as an important part of defence, and EK is 1st in the league in that department.

 

[Elvs]

Nah, he can be very good defensively, which we saw in 2017, he’s just not putting in the effort defensively this season it seems. But, we shouldn’t forget the importance of controlled zone exits as an important part of defence, and EK is 1st in the league in that department.

As usual on HFboards, we get stuck on defenitions. Sure, if "offense is the best defense" than you can argue Karlsson is good defensively. When I'm talking about defense, I'm talking about defending without the puck.

Regardless, he's average defensively at best. If he was anything special in this area, any coach would be fired for not putting Karlsson on the ice during a penalty kill or when defending a late lead in an important game. Instead, it's just "whatever".

Now imagine Detroit not using Lidstrom in those situations... The response wouldn't be "whatever". The coach would be beheaded.

Now, that doesn't mean Karlsson isn't elite. He is of course elite (or was, too early to say this year), but he needs to be outstanding offensively to make up for his otherwise average play without the puck.

 

[The S5]

Elite winger.