Erik Karlsson has been on the ice for 11/13 goals against so far this series.

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

I still despise Matt Cooke.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

Groin is a different beast. You can wrap an ankle/foot and battle through, while a groin even the slightest awkward movement you get a shooting pain and skating has lots of those movements... it really f's up your whole stride and I can only imagine skating backwards would be tough as heck.

Having pulled my groin once back when I exercised regularly. I can attest just how incredibly painful it can be. You straight up can barely move in some cases. Least I didn't have to do anything strenuous. Karlsson has to play hockey at an elite level. I can only imagine how that feels...

 

[Devilsfan118]

Let's be honest - he's at least aware of the fact that if he gets more severely hurt (say, by blocking a slap shot) that he's going to miss out on millions on his final big contract in the NHL.

Not what hockey fans or his teammates probably want to hear, but it's gotta be the reality of the situation.

 

[SharksCyclops]

Let's be honest - he's at least aware of the fact that if he gets more severely hurt (say, by blocking a slap shot) that he's going to miss out on millions on his final big contract in the NHL.

Not what hockey fans or his teammates probably want to hear, but it's gotta be the reality of the situation.

As the series progresses the more I agree with this sentiment

 

[Devilsfan118]

As the series progresses the more I agree with this sentiment

And I'm not slighting the guy for thinking this way.

He's gotta provide for his family after all.

Does make you wonder though if it would have been better for both camps to have an extension in place before the playoffs started - though I haven't been following on whether the Sharks and/or EK want that at this time.

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

If he's injured that bad, he shouldn't be playing. He's killing the team. Getting walked multiple times a game, he's a turnover machine (with about 4 nice plays a game albeit) and he's eating ice time for other guys that could be helping the team. He had an effective game one and has been a complete liability since. Dell at least was able to bail him out on a few of his huge mistakes, but it's not even that he's slow to plays, he's not moving to plays. Leaving guys wide open, not actively using his stick effectively, etc. Basic defensive IQ things.

If you replaced Jones and Eriksson, this series would look drastically different.

 

[sbhatt]

Karlsson being horrid in his own end is hardly a revelation. I have considered him a very talented winger who happens to line up further back on faceoffs since he started, and it was a travesty that a guy so inept defensively was gifted a Norris trophy purely for his offensive numbers.

 

[topshelf15]

Karlsson being horrid in his own end is hardly a revelation. I have considered him a very talented winger who happens to line up further back on faceoffs since he started, and it was a travesty that a guy so inept defensively was gifted a Norris trophy purely for his offensive numbers.

ZZZZZZ

 

[Fugazy]

Someone is going to give Karlsson a 7 year contract and it’s likely not going to end well.

 

[HanSolo]

People saying he is injured but everyone is injured this time of year. It's not an excuse if the Sharks are out in the first round, and especially not if all they got out of the Karlsson deal was like 3/4's of a season and a few playoff games.

Not all injuries are the same. While I theorize that Karlsson also looks rather unmotivated (which doesn't seem out of line for a very emotion driven hockey player) it also seems that he still has a pretty significant injury holding back his skating ability.

No it isn't an excuse for San Jose's failure, but it's part of the calculus. SJ's goalies have been poor but Karlsson has also allowed a great many high quality chances get generated because he couldn't mark his man.

What Burns' excuse is...well...he's just not very good defensively. As incredible as Theodore's goal looked, if Burns had played that tighter, Shea doesn't even make it to the net.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Keep hyping up these "defensemen" that picked the wrong position as a kid. Hedman, PK, Burns, and EK... 0 Cups. Defense wins Championships. Not 4 forwards.

 

[BrockLobster]

Keep hyping up these "defensemen" that picked the wrong position as a kid. Hedman, PK, Burns, and EK... 0 Cups. Defense wins Championships. Not 4 forwards.

I wouldn't lump hedman in with those other 3

 

[Zerotonine]

I wouldn't lump hedman in with those other 3

I would based on this seasons playoff performance .

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Karlsson being horrid in his own end is hardly a revelation. I have considered him a very talented winger who happens to line up further back on faceoffs since he started, and it was a travesty that a guy so inept defensively was gifted a Norris trophy purely for his offensive numbers.

Hot take from 2015 right here.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Keep hyping up these "defensemen" that picked the wrong position as a kid. Hedman, PK, Burns, and EK... 0 Cups. Defense wins Championships. Not 4 forwards.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Hot take from 2015 right here.

Then you post a picture from the 80's LOL

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Then you post a picture from the 80's LOL

Since that offense first defenseman won a bunch of cups.

I dont think its as simple as "you can't win with player type x" YOu don't win a cup with one player period, no matter how good he is. You have to build around the strengths of your best players, and offset them with what they lack.

 

[GKG18]

Then you post a picture from the 80's LOL

Zing!

 

[SouthGeorge]

Since that offense first defenseman won a bunch of cups.

I dont think its as simple as "you can't win with player type x" YOu don't win a cup with one player period, no matter how good he is. You have to build around the strengths of your best players, and offset them with what they lack.

Here's the problem with that style of now. 1) They make a ridiculous amount of money for their fluffed regular season stats. They never produce like in that playoffs. 2) They are usually injured because of their style of play. 3) Their a liability in tighter scoring games. It's not as open/high scoring as it was in the 80's.

 

[WesMcCauley]

Someone is going to give Karlsson a 7 year contract and it’s likely not going to end well.

All depends on how his injury will effect him going forward. He was fantastic when healthy during the middle of the season.

 

[Star Ocean]

I would based on this seasons playoff performance .

Where he played 2 games concussed. Nice dumb take of you.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Keep hyping up these "defensemen" that picked the wrong position as a kid. Hedman, PK, Burns, and EK... 0 Cups. Defense wins Championships. Not 4 forwards.

Yeah when has an offensive d-man ever won the Cup?

Who needs them anyways? The puck should just teleport up the ice.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Yeah when has an offensive d-man ever won the Cup?

Who needs them anyways? The puck should just teleport up the ice.

You know puck moving d exist right? There's a difference in pmd and offensive d.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Here's the problem with that style of now. 1) They make a ridiculous amount of money for their fluffed regular season stats. They never produce like in that playoffs. 2) They are usually injured because of their style of play. 3) Their a liability in tighter scoring games. It's not as open/high scoring as it was in the 80's.

It seems like you have a vendetta against offensive defensemen, because now you are just stating things that are blatantly false.

Burns scored 24 points in 24 playoff games in 2016 and Karlsson scored 18 points in 19 playoff games in 2017. Burns hasn’t missed a game due to injury in 5 seasons. Karlsson is injury prone but I don’t see how you can prove that has anything to do with his style of play.

It’s also hilarious how you bring up their salaries. Burns is making $8M on a UFA contract and he just scored 83 points. He signed his contract in the middle of his contract year where he scored 76 points and he had 75 the year before. He is making the same amount as forwards like Logan Couture and Ryan Johansen and he out-scores them in every season lol.

 

[notsocommonsense]

I would based on this seasons playoff performance .

The one where he played all of 2 games and was obviously not himself? Cmon man