THN.com/podcast. From The Hockey News Podcast: What's the Buffalo Sabres' Future in Net? Erik Karlsson [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk3MTY0MTU2NjU3MzQ1ODU1/usatsi_20326124.jpg] Erik Karlsson Erik Karlsson is the first defenseman in 31 years to hit 100 points. The blueliner scored his 24th and 25th goals of the season for the San Jose Sharks in Monday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, bringing him up to a season milestone that only five other NHL defensemen have achieved. Karlsson joins Hall of Famers Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Al MacInnis, Denis Potvin and Brian Leetch to reach 100 points in one campaign. Orr passed 100 points in six seasons while Coffey achieved it in five seasons – the rest got to the mark once each. Leetch was the last to accomplish the feat in 1991-92. For context, the Sharks joined the NHL in ’91-92. Since Leetch reached 100 points in a year, 10 more franchises joined the league via expansion. Karlsson was two years old at the time. Now, the 32-year-old from Landsbro, Swe. also became the oldest D-man to hit 100 points in a season, four years older than Coffey was when he did it at 28 in 1989-90 for Pittsburgh. After the Ottawa Senators drafted Karlsson 15th overall in the 2008 NHL draft, he’s had a memorable career so far with a couple of ups and downs. He played 60 games in his rookie season for the Sens, putting up 26 points. He then hit 45 points in his sophomore year and won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in his third year after a 78-point campaign. He won it again in 2014-15. Karlsson’s career highs before this season were 21 goals in 2014-15, 66 assists in 2015-16 and 82 points in 2015-16. He broke all of them this year, currently at 25 goals and 75 assists. He’s been through a number of injuries as well during his 14 seasons in The Show, including a torn Achilles, a small muscle tear in his forearm, groin surgery and a broken foot that he played through during the 2016-17 playoffs when the Sens made it to the Eastern Conference final. This is the first season he’s played 80 games since 2015-16. After being traded to the San Jose Sharks ahead of the 2018-19 season and signing an eight-year contract extension worth $11.5 million per season, his offensive production began to dip from what it used to be. He had just 22 points in 52 games during the 2020-21 season, but it went up from there, hitting 35 points in 50 games last year. Then came his points explosion in 2022-23, putting him in the conversation for a third Norris Trophy. He became the fifth NHL D-man to score a hat trick at 32 years or older, was the first blueliner in Sharks history to get at least 20 points in a calendar month and set a franchise-record 13-game point streak. It's been a season to remember for the four-time all-star, who’s had some international team success in the past, winning a silver medal at the 2014 Olympics with Team Sweden. He’s now hoping to have some NHL team success and potentially strive for a Stanley Cup in the years ahead. Karlsson’s two goals on Monday were the only ones for the Sharks, who ended up losing 6-2 to the Jets. San Jose sits 29th in the NHL standings after Monday’s games.
