Erik Karlsson's another bad start to a season, 1 assist, -6 for 3 first games

[Edmonton East]

How he plays today, how he played last season...he really is not the Erik Karlsson of before, sad i guess.
Isn't producing, offensively and gets worse defensively each season it seams, the lack of care is really troubling

- 2 examples from today


looses a foot race, then just couldn't care less


i know its a shot from blue line and a redirect goal, but how #65 plays
how little he cares before the puck goes to the blue line.....
Karlsson didn't defend anyone

Could have a thread for Subban as well. Incredible how rapidly both declined.

 

[supsens]

I mean I do not watch him anymore but by point watching, he does indeed have 95P in hs last 109 games, which is pretty remarkable.

His D was never great even in his prime Ottawa days but his skating got him away from trouble. The Schenn goal would have been cut off before the net with the old EK and the Kyrou play would have been him skating with him down the boards.

Anyway, nearly a PPG in his last two seasons in still incredible.

The thing is if he does not score points you lose, if he does get a point of two most the time he is breaking even
If you see 2 or 3 points it appears he helped win but the horrid D leads to 2 or 3 against.
“Points” are not always the best way to judge a Dman

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Lol if Doug Wilson is in the HHOF, Erik Karlsson is a lock.

Um...WUT...Doug Wilson > Erik Karlsson every day of the week,
what an earth are you talking about, or smoking.

Wilson's NHL career lasted for 16 years, he was star a from the get go
and key piece for his team until retired.

It took Karlsson some time to peak and his peak didn't even last that long

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Could have a thread for Subban as well. Incredible how rapidly both declined.

Agreed. The other day i was watching Devils game and i was shocked how bad PK Subban was.

 

[RorschachWJK]

All of them: Subban, Karlsson, Doughty and Keith are just shells of their former selves. And some on that list were never good defensively to begin with.

 

[tmunnuch]

Anyway, nearly a PPG in his last two seasons in still incredible.

He's been outscored (PPG) by about 10 defensemen last year, and by 5 two years ago. Not sure being between 5 and 10 qualifies as 'incredible'. Plus the whole pesky bit of him being terrible in his own end.

 

[Pandaman11]

he probably would have led the team in scoring if he played all year last season.

Adam Henrique also led his team in scoring with 43 pts

 

[Kamina]

He was looking better in the 3rd in all honesty. His conditioning is what's lacking, he's gassed most of the time. I bet he looks better in about 10 games.

Like clockwork...

 

[RangerDoggo]

The Sharks have well over $40 million per year locked into aging talents who are on the decline and Karlsson is the centerpiece of that fiasco. Doug Wilson truly lived long enough to become the villain.

 

[Beville]

To be fair, Karlsson usually gets off to a slow start.

I doubt he reaches the heights he did before the ankle slice, but people seriously underrate the guy

Yeah, came here for this.

He’ll “light it up” soon enough but it won’t be anywhere near the Old Karlsson.

 

[Mafoofoo]

He’s not a Shark and at this point I don’t think he’ll ever be one (which I know doesn’t make sense).

Im hoping we can trick Seattle or someone into taking him at this point. He wasn’t worth the trade looking back, nor is he worth his contract.

I’ll still cheer for him as long as he’s wearing teal but I’ll also be glad once he’s no longer on the roster as well.

 

[firewagonHOCKEY]

Man Karlsson will bounce back. This happens every season. At least now he has had time to heal.

 

[ffh]

He’s not a Shark and at this point I don’t think he’ll ever be one (which I know doesn’t make sense).

Im hoping we can trick Seattle or someone into taking him at this point. He wasn’t worth the trade looking back, nor is he worth his contract.

I’ll still cheer for him as long as he’s wearing teal but I’ll also be glad once he’s no longer on the roster as well.

1st you have to trick him into waving his no movement clause.

 

[canucklover123]

He's been outscored (PPG) by about 10 defensemen last year, and by 5 two years ago. Not sure being between 5 and 10 qualifies as 'incredible'. Plus the whole pesky bit of him being terrible in his own end.

So on avg he's been outscored by 7 defensemen in the NHL the last two years. I am pretty sure that qualifies as exactly the statement I made.

His D might be lacking again, haven't seen him play in a while. But by the eyeball point test, let's not takeaway the feet of nearly a PPG Defensemen in the NHL on the "decline"

 

[Wats]

What happened to his shot? He's not shooting nearly as much as he used to.

 

[tmunnuch]

So on avg he's been outscored by 7 defensemen in the NHL the last two years. I am pretty sure that qualifies as exactly the statement I made.

I don't think being 7th qualifies as 'incredible'. If, say, Tanev finished 7th in scoring, that would be incredible. Ovechkin winning the rocket year after year: incredible. If the highest paid player, paid primarily for his scoring (because he sure as hell can't defend), finishes 7th, thats not incredible. Pretty great? Fine? Sure. Not incredible.

 

[karhukissa]

Extremely sad to see what's happened to one of my all time favourite players. I refuse to watch sharks games so i can still have my sweet memories of him being (at his prime) one of the best d-men of all time.

 

[Breakers]

He won’t recover if he keeps playing with Vlasic.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

He won’t recover if he keeps playing with Vlasic.

The two beefs I have with EK discussions:

1. The idea that he was always and consistently the best in the league AINEC--Keith, Hedman, Doughty et. al. had something to say about that at different points;

2. What you're doing here: it's always someone/something else's fault. We had 13 games of peak Karlsson in 2013 and 17 games in 2017 according to some; otherwise it's his partners fault, his team's fault, his goalie's fault, his owner's fault, Mike Hoffman's fault, his injuries' fault. Am I missing any? Is it possible that maybe, just maybe, the still-phenomenal EK we usually get is the real EK, and that 'peak' EK was simply everything coming together for a dude like it does for literally every other player in the world 20 games at a time, when they're just in 'the zone?' Why does this guy get every alibi in the world every year?

Yes, guy was absolutely a monster, I personally think he can get it back, and this thread is a copypasta from every year for the past like 7 years that ends up looking silly-ish as EK skates himself up to speed. But the stuff above pops up every damn time and if you ever wonder why people get annoyed with it, that's partially why.

 

[Brobust]

He’s not a Shark and at this point I don’t think he’ll ever be one (which I know doesn’t make sense).

Im hoping we can trick Seattle or someone into taking him at this point. He wasn’t worth the trade looking back, nor is he worth his contract.

I’ll still cheer for him as long as he’s wearing teal but I’ll also be glad once he’s no longer on the roster as well.

Why do you say that? Even towards the end of last season, I remember Karlsson performing quite well.

 

[Breakers]

The two beefs I have with EK discussions:

1. The idea that he was always and consistently the best in the league AINEC--Keith, Hedman, Doughty et. al. had something to say about that at different points;

2. What you're doing here: it's always someone/something else's fault. We had 13 games of peak Karlsson in 2013 and 17 games in 2017 according to some; otherwise it's his partners fault.

His 5v5 shot rate impact against with and without Vlasic is DRASTIC to say the least.

so yes I can make that assumption that he shouldn’t be playing with Vlasic who isn’t that good.

 

[canucklover123]

I don't think being 7th qualifies as 'incredible'. If, say, Tanev finished 7th in scoring, that would be incredible. Ovechkin winning the rocket year after year: incredible. If the highest paid player, paid primarily for his scoring (because he sure as hell can't defend), finishes 7th, thats not incredible. Pretty great? Fine? Sure. Not incredible.

Fair points. But now you're contradicting yourself.

I made a comment on his stats. If we are comparing stats, his pay, who he is compared to or what he should be doing is not valid.

You already made a comment that he can't defend and that he is paid to score. He is basically on pace the last two years to every other great "Norris" season he had. So from your point of view, he is not regressing, he is getting paid to do exactly what he is suppose to do and that clearly hasn't changed. So the concept of incredible does not change and you further validate my point.

Again, I already mentioned his D forsure has dropped to lower than whatever his base was. However youre bringing up salary, being paid to score and point total, all elements he's been consistent in.

 

[Brent Burns]

Karlsson sucks and Sharks are trash.

 

[JT Kreider]

He’s not a Shark and at this point I don’t think he’ll ever be one (which I know doesn’t make sense).

Im hoping we can trick Seattle or someone into taking him at this point. He wasn’t worth the trade looking back, nor is he worth his contract.

I’ll still cheer for him as long as he’s wearing teal but I’ll also be glad once he’s no longer on the roster as well.

"He is not a Shark"??? what kind of delusion is this?

 

[Mafoofoo]

"He is not a Shark"??? what kind of delusion is this?

The good kind.