Erik Karlsson - 23 games, 2 goals, 15pts. -6

[Raccoon Jesus]

Referring to the Sharks this year or the Kings of those couple seasons?

Sharks, sorry. Definitely not Kings, those teams were great at staying in the opposing zone but it's easy to not win when the puck doesn't come off the boards.

 

[Semantics]

I'd expect his points to decline as he's now on a team where he's the 3rd best dman. That will mean easier matchups, less PK time, but probably fewer offensive opportunities. You can see this in his ice time which is down 2.5 minutes from his career year.

 

[WesMcCauley]

I'd expect his points to decline as he's now on a team where he's the 3rd best dman. That will mean easier matchups, less PK time, but probably fewer offensive opportunities. You can see this in his ice time which is down 2.5 minutes from his career year.

 

[RickP]

Not a big Karlsson fan, but players of his style take time to get comfortable with a new team. Unfortunately for the Sharks, they might only have him for one season, but I think he'll get back to his usual standards soon.

 

[KCC]

He def looks like he’s still adjusting to everything

 

[Karl Eriksson]

I like my d men to actually play D and not be Forwards.

 

[JianYang]

Karlsson makes many dumb plays defensive that he rarely gets called out on. This is not new, so I can see the minus 8.

He still has 6 points though. Just focusing on the goals feels a bit like stat picking.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Karlsson makes many dumb plays defensive that he rarely gets called out on. This is not new, so I can see the minus 8.

He still has 6 points though. Just focusing on the goals feels a bit like stat picking.

Most of his -8 is not on him. Maybe two of them are legitimately on him. He got a minus in this game because Kane made an egregious turnover and Dillon couldn't take a slightly hard pass behind his net and it bounces out front. He's getting some poor luck but he can be better and he'll get better the more he gets used to his teammate's tendencies. But they're not expecting him to be elite right off the bat. They just want the team to be good enough to win consistently and they're doing pretty well in that department. They're at the top of the division. They have a positive goal differential. They have damn good advanced numbers. And it's obvious they have another gear they can get to. Most fans just want to make sure they're healthy come playoff time. Pretty confident that they'll be good enough to be in the playoff picture while they're figuring it all out.

 

[Jaguar God]

This forum is crazy. So many hot takes after 10 games.

 

[pokey10]

Logic has left the chat

 

[WesMcCauley]

Both goals against with him on the ice tonight was because of two horrible turnovers by a teammate. He has been on the ice for some goals that a goaltender never should let in as well this season.

He has been ok this season, not great but ok. He has also been sick and played thru that if the info from journalists are correct. Its only been 10 games or something, he is still a fantastic defensemen might just need some time to get adjusted to San Jose.

Burns has been good the last week. He was absolutely awful in preseason and at the start of the reg season.

 

[ijuka]

For instance, how was the last goal against Karlsson's fault? Kane makes a pass on the tape of an opposing player and a goal's scored before Karlsson or any other D in the same position at the time could react. I think that SJS isn't utilizing him to his strengths but he still hasn't been bad and can hardly be blamed for some of these goals.

 

[ViD]

Players that are labeled elite shouldn’t take any time to adjust - they should dominate from the start

 

[Big Cactus]

I'd expect his points to decline as he's now on a team where he's the 3rd best dman. That will mean easier matchups, less PK time, but probably fewer offensive opportunities. You can see this in his ice time which is down 2.5 minutes from his career year.

What?

 

[Big Cactus]

Players that are labeled elite shouldn’t take any time to adjust - they should dominate from the start

Nah you’re right. The 2 time Norris winning defenceman isn’t elite enough to produce in 9 games.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Karlsson makes many dumb plays defensive that he rarely gets called out on. This is not new, so I can see the minus 8.

He still has 6 points though. Just focusing on the goals feels a bit like stat picking.

Rarely gets called out on?

Every time he’s been on the ice for a goal against in the past 7 years he’s gotten called out and blamed on.

 

[Elvs]

Nah you’re right. The 2 time Norris winning defenceman isn’t elite enough to produce in 9 games.

Someone in this thread said he will be his normal self come january. If that's the case he shouldn't be anywhere near the discussion for another Norris this season.

 

[Chimpradamus]

The teams might've changed, but the player remains the same. Any time there's a thread about Karlsson, it just turns into a giant turd fest, because of the usual clientele of posters, whose opinion of him hasn't changed since 2012. because that's the last game they actually watched him play, or had their first opinion of him. Or, they just hate him, because he doesn't play hockey like Hal Gill did, or isn't Canadian like Scott Niedermayer is.

 

[Revelation]

Karlsson's missing half his heel he's never gonna be elite again come on people. The fact that he's still top pairing caliber is a miracle

 

[Big Cactus]

Someone in this thread said he will be his normal self come january. If that's the case he shouldn't be anywhere near the discussion for another Norris this season.

He doesn’t have to win another Norris to prove he’s elite

 

[Freedom]

He will step up his game. Just give him a little more time

 

[TheNewEra]

Players that are labeled elite shouldn’t take any time to adjust - they should dominate from the start

So I take it Bob isn't elite and should only return a mid round pick?

 

[DDRhockey]

This forum is crazy. So many hot takes after 10 games.

It's the russian homer dude starting this.

 

[DDRhockey]

Players that are labeled elite shouldn’t take any time to adjust - they should dominate from the start

Ovechkin has had garbage stretches in the past. Was a whoppin -35 in 2013-2014

 

[RorschachWJK]

No idea about that poster and his possible agendas.

However, a more general reason for the ridicule directed at EK is the extreme homerism exhibited by some of his fanboys. There's been a lot of comments where EK has been raised at the level of Orr, or even above. Well, here's a newsflash: he ain't anywhere close to that level. He isn't even at the Bourque/Lidström tier. He is at the tier below that which still means that he is great player, one of the top Dmen of his time.