Pittsburgh Penguins Honour Former Ottawa Senator Defenceman Erik Karlsson For Reaching 1000 NHL Games

With the Ottawa Senators, Erik Karlsson established himself as the greatest defenceman in club history, playing 627 of his 1000 NHL games in Ottawa.

When the Ottawa Senators drafted Erik Karlsson in 2008, he looked like a 14-year-old kid. Karlsson didn't look at all like a man who might one day win three Norris Trophies, or in a career milestone he hit on Saturday, play in 1000 NHL games.

Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson was the one who stepped up to the draft podium to make the Karlsson announcement that day.

627 NHL games later, after Karlsson had won two Norris Trophies, captained the Senators in an incredible 2017 NHL playoff run and put together a monster personal highlight reel, the Senators began a rebuild in 2018. And as part of it, Karlsson was shipped out of Ottawa in a blockbuster deal with San Jose for:

D Dylan DeMelo, C Chris Tierney, W Rūdolfs Balcers, C Josh Norris, a 2020 1st round pick (SJ - #3 - C Tim Stützle), a 2021 2nd round pick (SJ - #39 - C Zack Ostapchuk), and a 2019 2nd round pick (FLA - #44 - Jamieson Rees).

Karlsson immediately helped San Jose get to the conference final that year while the Senators are still trying to emerge from their seemingly never ending rebuild. After that initial success, the Sharks have missed the playoffs every year since and last year followed Ottawa's rebuild model, dealing Karlsson to Pittsburgh.

Karlsson and the Penguins missed the playoffs last season for the first time since Sidney Crosby's rookie year, but Karlsson had his greatest statistical season. He became the first NHL defenceman in 30 years to score over 100 points and he won his third Norris Trophy.

At the moment, the Penguins continue to fight for their playoff lives. Their late season run probably reminds Karlsson of Ottawa's 2015 Hamburglar run.

With three games remaining, the Pens invited Karlsson's family onto the ice to pay tribute to the former Senator great on the night of his 1000th game. The players all wore Karlsson jerseys on to the ice for the warmup.

“It’s always a great feeling to be able to have lasted that long," Karlsson said. "I’ve been very fortunate to play with a lot of guys that have reached (the 1000 game) milestone, and I know what a grind it is,” Karlsson said.