I never ever saw Karlsson play as one of the best defensive players in the league, not even close. I have seen him have pretty good games once in a while but best defensively? Dominant? I never saw that, not even once and I have seen him play quite a bit. I have always sought out the games he is playing because he can be a very exciting player to watch. Part of that is that he is going to create a lot of scoring chances but usually he is going to give up good scoring chances so the game is exciting as long as Guy Boucher isn't the coach.
Erik Karlsson's atrocious defending vs Hawks (3 examples)
- Thread starter Artorius Horus T
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I never ever saw Karlsson play as one of the best defensive players in the league, not even close. I have seen him have pretty good games once in a while but best defensively? Dominant? I never saw that, not even once and I have seen him play quite a bit. I have always sought out the games he is playing because he can be a very exciting player to watch. Part of that is that he is going to create a lot of scoring chances but usually he is going to give up good scoring chances so the game is exciting as long as Guy Boucher isn't the coach.
Beauty assist by Karlsson on the leafs 3rd goal of the game. He’s been one of Toronto’s best players tonight.
he’s really declined since his Ottawa days
he’s really declined since his Ottawa days
Think it would be wise to at least get to the AS break, but outside of a game or two, he's been atrocious this year.
He also was last year too, until about November where he was the best player in the league until he got hurt.
weastern bias
worst team in the league
He looked like he was skating in cement just before that when he barely beat Kapanen to the iced puck.
DudeWhereIsMakar
Bergevin sent me an offer sheet
If the Sharks miss the playoffs then the Karlsson trade looks very good if it ends up being a top-ten pick.
I watched tonight and two games against Sabres -- and maybe it's a blip -- but I see a guy who can contribute quite a bit but is nowhere near his $11.5 M cap hit. He looks like a once-great player at 34 you sign for three years at $7.5M.
All that said, it's way early to say where Karlsson will be on Sharks for this contract. I've seen this guy dominate. He could still be worth the cap hit for large parts of that contract.
kingsfan28
Its A Kingspiracy !
Who cares about a defenseman who can't play defense, because it's all about pointzzz!
jaloviina
1-2-3 stars!
DingDongCharlie
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Karlsson has always been elite offensively and for a time was easily the best offensive defenceman in the game while being decent defensively. I’ve never viewed him as elite in his own end.
Now his play is slipped since his Achilles injury. Add the money he’s making on his current contract and it’s understandable how he’s being criticized. Right or wrong it comes with the territory of being viewed as one of the best.
I’ve seen a ton of hatred toward Crosby on this site. People critical of McDavid. The more in the media the more love and hate you’ll see directed at a player.
Fellas....the Achilles injury was in the 2012-13 season. He won a Norris after that injury
The ankle injury was during the Sens ECF run in 2016-17 and he hasn't looked the same to me sense.
The ankle injury was during the Sens ECF run in 2016-17 and he hasn't looked the same to me sense.
The Panther
Registered User
I think Karlsson was fine defensively in Ottawa for the most part, in the sense that his role was so big he always had the puck. If the Sens were pretty good, he was pretty good defensively. If the Sens were bad, he was bad defensively along with the team. But everything kind of hung on him.
I don't follow the Sharks except for highlights and when they play Edmonton, but certainly my impression is that he's not the same player anymore. And part of that might be that he's not so much the go-to guy anymore. He's one of a handful of really strong NHL defencemen.
Sure, his achilles might be a lingering issue physically, but that shouldn't be causing mental errors. I wonder if his off-ice family things have affected him, or if just his new team and being based in California is throwing him off. Time to go to Edmonton, Erik.
I don't follow the Sharks except for highlights and when they play Edmonton, but certainly my impression is that he's not the same player anymore. And part of that might be that he's not so much the go-to guy anymore. He's one of a handful of really strong NHL defencemen.
Sure, his achilles might be a lingering issue physically, but that shouldn't be causing mental errors. I wonder if his off-ice family things have affected him, or if just his new team and being based in California is throwing him off. Time to go to Edmonton, Erik.
Honest M
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I rest my case.
He will be fine. One of my favorite players to watch. I don't get the emotions he creates in other fan bases. I would not put in so much energy to piss on opposing star players even if I don't agree on their greatness.
Nithoniniel
Registered User
Karlsson is a good example of how people generally judge defense too much on mistakes. His defensive play is about killing space, not allowing room to carry the puck over blue line, standing up at the right moments, covering passing lanes, making reads to stop rushes in the neutral zone. If I recall correctly, he has significantly more pass blocks into the slot than any other d-men in the league. All of this is generally based on playing the odds in terms of risk vs reward, and it can come back to bite you. There's also, as @Caesar Rex pointed out above, some pretty deep valleys in his defensive play.
I find it interesting that it's become part of the consensus that d-men who don't make a lot of mistakes aren't necessarily great defensively because of it. Everybody knows that d-men who surrenders the blue line like it's contagious will likely not be beat wide, but they'll contribute to bad defensive results in the process. Somehow that doesn't apply to the other side of the spectrum.
I find it interesting that it's become part of the consensus that d-men who don't make a lot of mistakes aren't necessarily great defensively because of it. Everybody knows that d-men who surrenders the blue line like it's contagious will likely not be beat wide, but they'll contribute to bad defensive results in the process. Somehow that doesn't apply to the other side of the spectrum.
PromisedLand
I need more FOOD
Semantics
PUBLIC ENEMY #1
He was pretty bad defensively in Ottawa too. Remember when Matthews dummied him in his 4 goal debut?
Not being a leaf fan, I didn’t watch that game. But I’ve seen the highlights, and Matthews obviously clowned Karlsson all night, like Matthews has done to numerous defencemen and forwards since.
but present Karlsson makes Ottawa Karlsson look like a defensive wizard
Other than Matthews' irrelevant 4th goal, the only clowning he did last night was to himself on Dillon's shoulder.
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CantLoseWithMatthews
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greasysnapper
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Karlsson's riverboat gambling has been catching up to him. As he slows down it's becoming more and more apparent. He's still pretty fleet of foot and can really fly, but the fact he's not as fast as he once was, and he still hasn't adjusted to that deterioration is highlighting his errors. Karlsson really needs to start looking at other players who've had to change up their styles whether be because of situation or injury or whatever; but he really needs to reinvent himself if he wants to help the Sharks win. If he doesn't care, and just wants to razzle dazzle he can keep doing this for a few more years.
$12 million if you want to round to the closet million. Sharks overpaid has been my view. I don't think the Sharks could get a 1st round pick in a trade today. Partly due to his $11.5m long term contract, and the other is he's not proved to be back at 100% from his injury previously as a Sens.
My fellow Sharks fans in our home forum likes to point out his play last season. Yes, he did have a good few weeks before he was injured.
They also like to point out his skating and passing. Yes, he's good at it, but in comparison, the other teal defensemen are mediocre at it. Sharks have not had a good skater/passer since Dan Boyle left the Sharks.
I'm still waiting to see this "ice tilting" capability of Karlsson that some had talked about. So far, he's overpaid just like Doughty.
Looked to me on that goal, Jones gave up in frustration of his defense out in front of him. He actually played well, block all the breakaways given, iirc.
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