Erik Karlsson is still suffering from the effects of an offseason procedure.
OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senators all-star defenseman Erik Karlsson highly doubts he will be ready to play on opening night of the 2017/2018 NHL season.
On June 14, Karlsson had half of his left ankle bone removed and has been making sure to not suffer any setbacks in his recovery. “Most likely not, no,” he said. “Again, anything could happen. We’ll see how it reacts once we get into things a little deeper with body contact and game speed.” He added, “I can’t say that it feels normal, but there’s no sharpness or anything that’s going to affect me moving forward, I think,” he said. “I would try to explain it, but it’s hard to say what exactly is different. It feels like I have a leather piece in my one ankle. You can’t really move it. It’s going to take some getting used to, but I feel like I can manage it pretty well right now. Hopefully, it’s just going to get better and better.
The two-time Norris trophy winner isn’t a stranger to foot injuries. In addition to his broken left foot, Karlsson also tore tendons in the same foot but played through the pain last year. Fortunately for Karlsson, he isn’t feeling any pain at the moment, “in general it feels pretty decent, even though it’s a weird feeling.”
Karlsson, aged 27, has led the Senators in regular-season point production over the past 4 seasons. He registered 71 points last season (17 goals and 54 assists) while also leading his team in post-season scoring (2 goals and 16 assists) in 19 games. Even though he was in the shadow of Burns last year for production, Karlsson is always at the top of the list when it comes to offensive defensemen.
The Ottawa Senators hope that Erik’s absence will not be a long one, not only is his presence felt on the ice but also in the locker room. He will definitely be needed if the Senators hope to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals from a year ago. The sooner Karlsson gets back up and running and scoring, the better.
