On Karlsson’s return, Senators won’t forget ‘spectacular’ times with No. 65

The best deflection Friday didn’t come from any Ottawa Senators player on the ice at practice.

Instead, it came from the lips of Senators coach Guy Boucher, who suggested that the hype surrounding Erik Karlsson’s return with the San Jose Sharks on Saturday is primarily a media-driven vehicle, a topic that hasn’t taken up any air in the dressing room.

Sure.

At least it was a safe approach, steering well clear of pouring any potential fuel on the fire of Karlsson’s drawn out departure before the inevitable training camp trade.

Inside the dressing room, Senators players conceded that Saturday will be anything but a typical game.

But they also took the high road, expecting that fans will treat the former captain with the utmost respect.

“I think he’s probably going to get a standing ovation,” said Mark Stone, an alternate captain who has taken on more leadership responsibilities in Karlsson’s absence. “I think he deserves it. I think he earned that with the way he played on the ice every night. He’s one of the best players to ever play in Ottawa, so he deserves it.”

Karlsson’s ending in Ottawa was anything but smooth, but Stone was stressing the positives Friday.

“Ultimately, he’s a friend of ours, one of the best players to ever play here. The things that he did, in my time here, was nothing short of spectacular. You remember the good times that we had (and) the playoff run that he carried us on. Those are the things he should be remembered for.”

However, there was a cloud of dissension within the dressing room throughout the abysmal 2017-18 season. It got worse as the season went on, leading to the “broken” dressing room that general manager Pierre Dorion referred to while making major changes before and after the trade deadline.

Stone defended Karlsson against suggestions that the former captain was solely responsible for the dysfunction.

“There are tons of different personalities in a locker-room, so there are 23 guys that have to mix together to form a team,” said Stone.

“It’s different with those types of players. When they are that good, guys are sometimes nervous to be around guys like that. But for him, he was very welcoming to every guy who entered this locker-room.”

Zack Smith, who is also an alternate captain, said, “We’re happy for (Karlsson), we want him to do well,” and he likes the fact the Senators only have to play him twice a season because he’s now in the Western Conference.

While Karlsson’s departure created “a big hole we had to fill,” Smith believes the players who have filled that vacuum have done an outstanding job.

“There were guys ready to step into that role, to take on a bigger role as leaders, and some of that involves different mindsets in what kind of leader you are,” Smith said.

Stone says there is a different feel inside the dressing room, which perhaps explains how the Senators have been able to rally so often when it appeared they were down and out.

Earlier this week, the Senators were on a four-game losing streak and trailing Philadelphia 3-1 in the third period in the final game of what had been an ugly road trip.

They rallied for a 4-3 victory and followed that up with a 3-0 win over the New York Rangers at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, turning the doom and gloom into a renewed sense of hope.

“We don’t have the same guns that maybe we did a season or two ago, but if you’re going to win in this league, you have to have some cohesiveness,” Stone said. “I think we’ve done a good job of that so far. Looking at that road trip, we lost the first three games and had a big comeback game. If we lose that game (against Philadelphia), it could go south pretty quick.”

A major reason for the optimism centres around the young core. That group includes defenceman Thomas Chabot, who has thrived after taking on additional ice time and offensive responsibilities in Karlsson’s absence.

Karlsson, he says, was a role model.

“I was only here for 60 games last year, it’s not like I played with him for 10 years, but just when I was around him, just to play with him, was great,” said Chabot.

“Even before I got drafted here, he was someone I enjoyed watching on the ice. Just to have a chance to be around him and to be on his pairing (late last season) and to see the kinds of plays he can make … he can literally make a play out of nothing, and that’s pretty amazing. Not a lot of guys can do that.”

While Boucher was careful to steer clear of any comparisons between last season and this season, he did talk about his fond memories with Karlsson.

“I’ve been very fortunate over the years,” Boucher said. “I was there when Erik had his best NHL season and we had a terrific (playoff ) run, and I enjoyed coaching him and seeing him at his best,” he said.