Penguins Defenseman Helped Change Game of Hockey
About to play his 1,000th game, a star defenseman with the Pittsburgh Penguins helped usher in a new game.
PITTSBURGH – He may be new to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but set to enter his 1,000th career game, Erik Karlsson has been a trendsetter in the league since his debut. A long-time member of the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks, the Penguins superstar defenseman was one of the key faces that ushered in change to the position.
When Karlsson takes the ice for the 1,000th time, he will have 188 goals and 625 assists for 813 career points. That is the ninth-most all-time among defensemen in their first 1,000 games played and the second-most among active defenders.
In his 15th NHL season, Karlsson entered when a lot of focus was on sizable physical defensemen.
“Back then, the league was really different,” Karlsson said. “Everybody was really big and strong and physical.”
Entering the league with the Senators at 19 years old, Karlsson didn’t fit the mold of what a defenseman looked like. Nor did he play like them when he scored just under a point per game at the Swedish Junior level.
“My first year, I think the average height was 6’2, 235 or something,” Karlsson said. “I was 155 and 5’8 at the time. Everything evolves, right?”
Karlsson is a three-time winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. Before he broke into the NHL, the Norris was often given to guys like Duncan Kieth, Zdeno Chara, or fellow Swede Nicklas Lidstrom. These guys could score and put up great offensive numbers, but they were most known for their defensive ability.
While Karlsson’s defensive play has never been anything special, his offensive acumen is what made him who he is. It’s what he’s known for and what makes him so unique. His first Norris came on the back of a 78-point season at the age of 21 in 2011-12. That led defensemen in scoring that season and was the 11th most in the entire league.
In 2014-15, Karlsson won his second Norris and was again the NHL’s leader in scoring by a defenseman with 66 points.
Most recently, Karlsson earned his third Norris by making history. Last year, he scored 101 points, becoming the first blue-liner to hit that mark since Brian Leech in the 1991-92 season.
It’s thanks to players like Karlsson, Kris Letang, and Brent Burns that the defensive position has changed in the NHL. Hockey has steered away from the large bodies who only know how to defend and play physically to compact players who know how to do everything.
Guys like Cale Makar, Adam Fox, and Quinn Hughes are household names thanks to their offense and have followed in the footsteps of Karlsson.
“I’m just happy I got to see both parts and be a part of it,” Karlsson said. “Being able to evolve with it.”
The game is constantly changing and thanks to Karlsson’s 15 years of offense from defense, the defensive position has kept up with the times.
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