Is Erik Karlsson in fact the best Swedish player still?

[SwedishFire]

Yup. He’s always been soft on pucks. EK is great with the puck attacking the o-zone with space. He looks great watching on TV.
Watching EK for all the minutes he’s on ice without the puck on attack and his obvious defensive liabilities are very noticeable.
And how many of his minutes are without the puck? 95%.

Hes great with the puck what so ever. He costs goals against, he makes goal for. That said, hes bery good for TV hockey

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Are they though?

This is his second season in Pittsburgh where Kris Letang is getting more minutes. Yes, Karlsson does play a little bit more ES, but as he doesn't kill penalties, Letang does play more overall. And this is Letang in his late 30's and in clear decline we are talking about.

And the same was true for Karlsson's time in San José. For four years he was there with Brent Burns, and every year Burns, in his mid 30's, played more.

Even in this tournament Hedman and Forsling are seeing significantly more minutes by the Swedish coaching staff than Karlsson is.

What coaches will say about a player when talking to the media is one thing. What coaches actually do is another thing entirely.

Karlsson in his 20s vs Karlsson in his 30s are two different players.

 

[gritdash60]

He isn't even the best defender on the team, how could he be the best player?

 

[Fire Sweeney]

He's never been the best swedish player.

 

[Leafshater67]

Crap on his D now if you want but to say he was never solid in his own end is so wrong.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Are they though?

This is his second season in Pittsburgh where Kris Letang is getting more minutes. Yes, Karlsson does play a little bit more ES, but as he doesn't kill penalties, Letang does play more overall. And this is Letang in his late 30's and in clear decline we are talking about.

And the same was true for Karlsson's time in San José. For four years he was there with Brent Burns, and every year Burns, in his mid 30's, played more.

Even in this tournament Hedman and Forsling are seeing significantly more minutes by the Swedish coaching staff than Karlsson is.

What coaches will say about a player when talking to the media is one thing. What coaches actually do is another thing entirely.

There's not a single person here saying he's good defensively now?

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Crap on his D now if you want but to say he was never solid in his own end is so wrong.

...it wasn't a large window and even at that time he relied heavily on Methot to do most of the grunt work...

 

[Ben White]

He was the best Swede in the tournament

 

[DearDiary]

Karlsson was ok defensively until he got his achilles tendon cut. If you compare him to old video's, his skating technique is completely changed. Every player knows this and it's why he gets taken advantage of so easily. Karlsson can skate fast in a straight line, but then becomes one of the slowest players once he has to turn to skate backwards and then turn again when players cut across. It sucks people thrash him considering how hard he must have worked to fix his skating to play at an NHL level again.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

He's a defenseman who is unbelievably terrible at defense. This has been proven over the course of many hundreds of games.

Kind of comical that he won the best defenseman trophy then doesn't it? And not just once.

What does that say about that trophy and the previous winners then?

 

[matsqq]

Karlsson was ok defensively until he got his achilles tendon cut. If you compare him to old video's, his skating technique is completely changed. Every player knows this and it's why he gets taken advantage of so easily. Karlsson can skate fast in a straight line, but then becomes one of the slowest players once he has to turn to skate backwards and then turn again when players cut across. It sucks people thrash him considering how hard he must have worked to fix his skating to play at an NHL level again.

And that is why he is +2 and close to leading the swedes in points in 4-nations facing most of the best players in the world ? and most people think he was the best swede in the tournament

If he could easily be taken advantage of, he would have been many times over.

You are beating a dead horse - please read all the posts in this thread and try to take in what they say

I agree with what other people has already said- defense is not just playing like for example Gustav Forsling - the more you play offense (which Karlsson makes the team do) the less you have to play defense.

He has played in many teams that are not very good , still he had a positive +/- when most of the team had minus etc etc

Like all players, he is superb at some things and worse at others , but on the whole I don't think any team in four nations would have turned him down

You are of course entitled to your opinion, but your opinion doesn't really matter, any fool can have an opinion and write a oneliner

 

[Ben White]

He’s been the best Swede in 4 nations

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

He’s been the best Swede in 4 nations

You’re repeating yourself.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Kind of comical that he won the best defenseman trophy then doesn't it? And not just once.

What does that say about that trophy and the previous winners then?

It says the voters have no idea what they are doing.

Karlsson is playing stat padding losing hockey. The Sharks let him do it because A) they were tanking and B) they knew it would artificially pump up his value.

That’s why when the Penguins added him, the team actually got worse despite everyone being healthy. If Karlsson was actually the best defenseman in the NHL, or anywhere close to it, then the Pens likely make the playoffs.

 

[Barsky]

I'm convinced Karlsson wins the Conn Smythe that year if the Senators score the goal in game 7 OT instead of the Penguins. Regardless who actually wins the SCF.

100% true

You realize he's universally regarded as one of, if not the worst player at actually defending in this generation of hockey ?

Are you a Sens fan by any chance, because that would make a lot of sense.

And you having that opinion as a Leafs fan makes a lot of sense. Bias on both sides

 

[Machinehead]

Why doesn't Victor Hedman ever get any criticism at all for also being terrible at defense?

 

[TheNewEra]

its hard to say he is definitively the best since hedman is on the team. Its a toss up between the two of them for the top 2 spots

 

[AvroArrow]

And you having that opinion as a Leafs fan makes a lot of sense. Bias on both sides

It's not an opinion, it's a fact. He is complete dog shit defensively and always has been his entire career. Everyone outside of Ottawa knows this, for whatever reason your fan base clings on to him, guy hasn't been a Senator in years but for whatever strange reason you still hold on to this belief that he's good defensively.

Also it's not just me saying it, pretty much everyone in the hockey world agrees, he is completely garbage defensively.

Tell me what he does well defensively ?

He can't check, he can't win board battles, he's almost always out of position, he can't clear the crease.

You guys keep bringing up his ability to break out, that's not a defensive skill it's an offensive one. We know he's a great skater and passer, what does he do well in his own end when he doesn't have the puck ?

 

[Barsky]

It's not an opinion, it's a fact. He is complete dog shit defensively and always has been his entire career. Everyone outside of Ottawa knows this, for whatever reason your fan base clings on to him, guy hasn't been a Senator in years but for whatever strange reason you still hold on to this belief that he's good defensively.

Also it's not just me saying it, pretty much everyone in the hockey world agrees, he is completely garbage defensively.

Tell me what he does well defensively ?

He can't check, he can't win board battles, he's almost always out of position, he can't clear the crease.

You guys keep bringing up his ability to break out, that's not a defensive skill it's an offensive one. We know he's a great skater and passer, what does he do well in his own end when he doesn't have the puck ?

Everyone including the hockey writers who gave him 3 Norrises? What's the best way to prevent goals from going in your net? Possessing the puck in the opponent's end obviously and/or breaking the puck out of your own end with great efficiency. No one who wants an unbiased opinion of any former Senator would ever value the opinion (which is what your statement is & not a "fact") of a Leaf fan and vice versa of course, that's an actual fact

 

[Romang67]

It's not an opinion, it's a fact. He is complete dog shit defensively and always has been his entire career. Everyone outside of Ottawa knows this, for whatever reason your fan base clings on to him, guy hasn't been a Senator in years but for whatever strange reason you still hold on to this belief that he's good defensively.

You realize he's universally regarded as one of, if not the worst player at actually defending in this generation of hockey ?

I dont think you know what an opinion is. Also, that's dumb nonsense. Obviously he's not one of the worst players at actually defending in this generation of hockey.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

It's not an opinion, it's a fact. He is complete dog shit defensively and always has been his entire career. Everyone outside of Ottawa knows this, for whatever reason your fan base clings on to him, guy hasn't been a Senator in years but for whatever strange reason you still hold on to this belief that he's good defensively.

Also it's not just me saying it, pretty much everyone in the hockey world agrees, he is completely garbage defensively.

Tell me what he does well defensively ?

He can't check, he can't win board battles, he's almost always out of position, he can't clear the crease.

You guys keep bringing up his ability to break out, that's not a defensive skill it's an offensive one. We know he's a great skater and passer, what does he do well in his own end when he doesn't have the puck ?

from 2010 to 2020 Karlsson was number 1 in the league in takeaways among D.

from 2015 to 2025 Karlsson is 2nd only to Jaccob Slavin in takeaways.

In 2017 Boucher adopted a defensive style and Karlsson responded by being 2nd in the league blocked shots while being PPG.


But you know he's the worst defender of his generation.

 

[Romang67]

from 2010 to 2020 Karlsson was number 1 in the league in takeaways among D.

from 2015 to 2025 Karlsson is 2nd only to Jaccob Slavin in takeaways.

But you know he's the worst defender of his generation.

There's been about 1000 D-men in the NHL since Karlsson entered the NHL. Imagine sitting there saying that he's worse defensively than all of them, plus presumably a large number of forwards as well, and then turning around and saying that "it's not an opinion, it's a fact."

Just waiting for the shifting of the goalposts where this fact was "actually hyperbole, but the fact that people took it as a fact means Karlsson is really bad defensively."

As I said, dumb nonsense, and probably not worthwhile arguing against that.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

There's been about 1000 D-men in the NHL since Karlsson entered the NHL. Imagine sitting there saying that he's worse defensively than all of them, plus presumably a large number of forwards as well, and then turning around and saying that "it's not an opinion, it's a fact."

Just waiting for the shifting of the goalposts where this fact was "actually hyperbole, but the fact that people took it as a fact means Karlsson is really bad defensively."

As I said, dumb nonsense, and probably not worthwhile arguing against that.

I feel like I'm pretty good at detecting trolls or sarcasm but I swear these people I think are 100 percent serious.

How is it possible to stick your head so far into the sand in regards to reality?

 

[Barsky]

I feel like I'm pretty good at detecting trolls or sarcasm but I swear these people I think are 100 percent serious.

How is it possible to stick your head so far into the sand in regards to reality?

His head is stuck somewhere for sure, but I don't think it's down in the sand... I am however obviously biased, but at least I realize it, unlike him

 

[sr edler]

Sweden's 4 nation showing reminds me of when New Zeeland played in the World Cup some years ago, as the only undefeated team in regulation.

As for Karlsson, he can be adequate on defence if you utilise him properly, meaning you can't have him freewheeling like he did on San Jose after Burns left.