Saturday, March 09, 2019

Sharks' Karlsson Not Back Anytime Soon



The groin problem that has been plaguing San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson since the weeks before the All-Star break has now really caught up to him and he will now be sidelined until the playoffs (or thereabouts), as he tries to get back to 100% for the playoff push.

This now means that Karlsson is out indefinitely, maybe with hopes of shaking off the rust in a game or two before the playoffs start, but even that doesn't feel like a certainty, at this point in time.

At this point on Saturday morning, Karlsson is likely to finish the season with 3 goals and 45 points in 52 games played, which is still good enough for 12th among all defensemen, but that wasn't nearly the number that was expected of him this season. 

Clayton took Karlsson with the 33rd overall pick in the 2nd round, taking him as the top defenseman and he has been anything but.  Clayton's defense ranks 9th in scoring in the pool this season, 52 points behind the lead in that, so even having a healthy Karlsson wouldn't necessarily be enough to have the best blueline, but it sure would have helped. 

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