KARLSSON ON THE DEFENSIVE
Two-time norris winner’s low point totals a reflection of different role with San Jose
“Maybe if he was playing in the West on a defensive team like L.A., he would have to play that way and he’d be good at it. But in Ottawa, he’s not told to play that way.” That was Drew Doughty talking about Erik Karlsson at the 2016 NHL Awards.
At the time, both defencemen were up for the Norris Trophy. But their resumes could not have been more different. While Karlsson was coming off a season in which he finished in the top five in scoring with 82 points in 82 games, Doughty had just 51 points in 2015-16.
Yet it was Doughty who won the Norris Trophy that year, mostly because in the minds of voters he was logging important minutes for a team that was bound for the playoffs. Karlsson, meanwhile, was racking up meaningless points for a team that was missing the playoffs.
Which brings us to this season. When the San Jose Sharks traded for Karlsson in September and gave up practically nothing off their roster in return, fantasy experts started to drool. If they thought Karlsson had been dangerous in Ottawa, where the top scorer managed just 23 goals last season, just imagine the production passing the puck to the likes of Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier.
It was the same thing we thought about John Tavares going to Toronto. Finally they wouldn’t have to worry about carrying the offensive load all by themselves. Finally they would be surrounded by all-world talent.
Forget 82 points. The thinking was Karlsson, who is also in the final year of his contract, might be the first defenceman since the New York Rangers’ Brian Leetch to crack the 100-point mark.
Instead, Karlsson and Tavares have had different starts to the season. While Tavares had scored 11 goals and had 22 points in his first 18 games wearing Leafs colours, Karlsson has not yet looked like the second coming of Bobby Orr or Paul Coffey with the Sharks. If anything, his numbers are much like an average defenceman.
Heading into Thursday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Karlsson had no goals and eight assists in his first 19 games. At this point last year, he had 17 points. Then again, a year ago he was also playing on a team that had the second-worst record in the NHL. Today, he’s on one of the best teams.
As Doughty suggested, the two could be linked and that makes his early scoring woes more than just a slump. In nine seasons with the Senators, Karlsson led the team in scoring four times and finished second in three others. There was a reason for that. He needed to play that way because the points weren’t coming from another source.
In San Jose, his job description has changed. On a team that has so many offensive options, Karlsson is no longer the No. 1 offensive weapon. With Brent Burns leading the Sharks with 21 points, he might not even be the team’s No. 1 offensive defenceman.
Instead, Karlsson is a true defenceman in the same way Doughty used to be back when he was on a team that was a perennial Stanley Cup contender.
It’s not a coincidence that Thomas Chabot is having a Karlsson-like start to the season for a Senators team that has the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Or that Doughty, who is now on a team that is dead last in the NHL standings, has more points than Karlsson.
“If we were to swap teams, it would be pretty equal numbers-wise,” Karlsson had said of Doughty at the 2016 NHL Awards. “I think that we play very similar styles in every aspect of the game, we just play on different teams. When (Doughty) came to L.A., they were not very good and they’ve been really good for the past five, six years that he’s been there. That changes a little bit how he plays the game.”
San Jose hasn’t exactly put a leash on Karlsson, who is leading the team in power-play time and offensive zone starts. He’s also averaging more shots this season than he did a year ago with the Senators. But at the same time, he’s no longer on a team that needs him to be the catalyst.
The Sharks, who are leading the Pacific Division, are deep enough to win without Karlsson landing on the score sheet.
He knows it. And his point totals could be a reflection of it.