Karlsson has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and will be re-evaluated in two weeks
When former Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson was named to Team Sweden for the upcoming Winter Olympics, he couldn’t have been more pleased. Karlsson fondly remembers the excitement of Sochi in 2014, where he and the Swedes eventually had to settle for a silver medal after falling 3-0 to Canada in the final.
But with the NHL absent from the last two Olympic Games, 12 years have passed between Games, so this may be it for him. When the Olympics return in 2030 in France, Karlsson will be 39, so it may be his final opportunity to compete on hockey's biggest international stage.
“It’s a very special thing to be a part of,” Karlsson told the media earlier this month. “I’m obviously very happy that we get the chance to be back and experience it again. Hopefully it’s not my last one.”
But let's set aside 2030. This week, Karlsson was forced to confront the possibility of not being able to play in these games either.
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced on Tuesday that Karlsson has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and will be re-evaluated in two weeks; not necessarily ready to play in two weeks, but re-evaluated. He was injured on Sunday in a game against the Boston Bruins.
Penguins ownership didn't order up a forensics report, at least not to our knowledge, but head coach Dan Muse did tell reporters this week that Karlsson has been around the rink and remains hopeful that he’s trending toward a return soon
Karlsson also told Swedish newspaper Expressen that he believes he’ll be back in time for the games.
But hockey officials in Sweden will soon have to ponder contingency plans if he and Gabriel Landeskog, who's also hurt right now, begin to look like they might not be able to go.
Sweden opens the tournament on February 11 against host Italy in a game the Swedes will win either way.
Karlsson's injury ends a pretty good run of good health for the three-time Norris Trophy winner. Dating back to his final year with the San Jose Sharks and continuing through his three seasons in Pittsburgh, he had not missed a single game until now.
But Senators fans have watched Karlsson defy injuries and recovery timelines in the now distant past. First, it was the famous Matt Cooke incident in 2013, when Cooke accidentally (?) cut Karlsson's Achilles with his skate blade. Karlsson returned just 10 weeks later, weeks earlier than expected.
Four years later, Karlsson led the Senators to within a goal of the Stanley Cup Final, and did it on a bad ankle, which had to be rebuilt that summer.
Now, nearly a decade later, the stage is different, and the jersey has changed, but counting Karlsson out because of an injury is never a wise bet.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
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