Ben White
Registered User
- Dec 28, 2015
- 4,684
- 1,695
Is Erik Karlsson in fact the best Swedish player still?
- Thread starter Ben White
- Start date
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Empoleon8771
Registered User
Who would have thought that Karlsson would look substantially better while not playing for Mike Sullivan’s system? I’m shocked.
KirkAlbuquerque
#WeNeverGetAGoodCoach
saska sault
Registered User
Im a little bias but I thought Raymond was Swedens best player, Karlsson was just as good. Hes dynamic on the back end, especially when you have a Hedman on your team to take the toughest assignments.
Off topic, Arvidsson was a treat to watch. He plays with great speed and energy, would love him on Detroit.
Off topic, Arvidsson was a treat to watch. He plays with great speed and energy, would love him on Detroit.
CheckingLineCenter
Registered User
- Aug 10, 2018
- 9,675
- 10,668
Been trying to say he’s still a very very good player. Gotta think he’d be extremely valuable if the Pens retained on him (although his NMC would severely cripple what they could get back in a trade).
Sasha Orlov
Lord of the Manor
- Jun 22, 2018
- 9,752
- 23,094
Love to see Ben with the Karlsson thread resurgence, let’s go
- Feb 10, 2010
- 14,667
- 11,808
He's a defenseman who is unbelievably terrible at defense. This has been proven over the course of many hundreds of games.
Agent Zuuuub
Registered User
- Jan 2, 2015
- 15,775
- 13,577
the biggest reason his defense tanked is that he can't pivot properly after his ankle injuries.
what could have been.
TheGreenTBer
Paula Deen does bath salts
- Apr 30, 2021
- 10,255
- 12,605
Yeah in his prime his defense was fine IMO. He wasn't a lockdown guy but he was not a liability.
At his best this dude could completely tilt the ice to an absurd degree.
biturbo19
Registered User
- Jul 13, 2010
- 27,643
- 12,795
Where did you see those stats ? (I haven't got access to any paid site)
Opinions are very divided about EK65 but he is a fantastic addition to the toolbox of any team.
From what I have seen he is fantastic offensively but can become too static in the defensive play where he doesn't engage.
Overall he is still an superb player that brings some things to the table that very few defensemen can.
Sweden played team Canada (arguably the toughest opponents in the world) and he looked great.
I noticed him more than Makar in this particular game (but maybe I am biased as a swede) and of course you notice your own players more.
Voight
#winning
Sasha Orlov
Lord of the Manor
- Jun 22, 2018
- 9,752
- 23,094
He was always putrid defensively actually
Fatass
Registered User
- Apr 17, 2017
- 24,815
- 16,469
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%.
Yet, when you look at moneypuck he was by far Sweden's best player against Canada in 5 vs 5.
Considering the combination of offense and defense ! xG%
As long as he is much better offensively than he is bad defensively it's OK
Considering the combination of offense and defense ! xG%
As long as he is much better offensively than he is bad defensively it's OK
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Xspyrit
DJ Dorion
"Defense" is still not understood by everybody but recovering the puck, gaining control and exiting cleanly is also part of it. For example, Karlsson is elite at "exit possession rate" (skating, vision and smarts) but sucks at "possession entry prevention" (pivot, size, etc)
Agent Zuuuub
Registered User
- Jan 2, 2015
- 15,775
- 13,577
So let me get this straight, a mediocre team like the Ottawa Senators across multiple NHL coaches would play a putrid defensive player for 27-30 minutes a night including even more in the playoffs and somehow still find success?
Seems more like you guys have no conception of what actual defense is.
The Gr8 Dane
L'harceleur
He is at best, the 3rd best defenseman on the team. yeah, he has good possession numbers, but he sucks defensively. Hedman is better. Dahlin is the best player on the team. Massively disrespected by everyone. Didn't get PP or overtime shifts.
zenthusiast
cybersabre his prophet
- Oct 20, 2009
- 19,599
- 7,320
considering the high point of that success was a team with a negative goal differential both in the regular season and the playoffs going to a conference final I think it’s fair to question their star defenseman’s ability to prevent goals. A sublime talent in two phases of the game can still be a liability in the third
E: rather, I suppose it’s more fitting to question whether that success stemmed from proper coaching judgment and keying on that
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Sasha Orlov
Lord of the Manor
- Jun 22, 2018
- 9,752
- 23,094
Yes because he is insane offensively
Is that actually difficult to understand for you lmao
But Erik had positive numbers in +/- in both the series and in the stanley cup finals that year. (even though the team had minuses) Do you somehow mean that Erik was responsible for what happened when he was off the ice too ? He should have prevented goals then too ? How could he have done that ?
