Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson is among the best in the world at what he does. Two Norris Trophies in 4 years tells you that.
And I certainly am not going to pull the "no respect" card because that really doesn't fit any more, but the Senators captain will always be the target of a small sample of critics who say he isn't in the elite group of defenseman because he doesn't kill penalties or doesn't drive opposing forwards through the boards on a regular basis.
Karlsson's job is to go out and play when the coaches tap him on the shoulder. This is a guy who is listed at 6' and 180 lbs, which is quite generous having stood around him in the locker room. This isn't a guy that the organization wants throwing himself willy-nilly in the path of charging 220 lb wingers on a regular basis. That isn't going to end well for him or the club.
Karlsson picks his spots to be physical ,
just ask Nathan Beaulieu about that. Karlsson doesn't play an overly physical brand of defense, but he does have the ability to create turnovers with his body position and his stick. Besides, his lack of physicality is overblown as well. Quick, without looking it up, how many fewer hits did Karlsson record than P.K. Subban last season (answer below)?
As for killing penalties, a coach's job is to deploy the assets he has to make the team as good as he can. Karlsson played over 83% of the Senators' total power play time last season (averaging almost 5 minutes per game) as well as playing almost 22 minutes per night at even strength. He was used sparingly on the PK, and understandably so.
I was among those who were critical of Karlsson in the first half of last season, because he wasn't the same player from previous seasons. I think a lot of it had to do with not having the trust of his partner(s), and that held him back a little bit. The return of Methot allowed him to do what he does best, things at which nobody in the league is even close to his ability.
At one time Karlsson was an offense-only blueliner, and he is still far better with the puck than without it. His game has matured bit by bit, and that hasn't come at the expense of offense.
I just hope that the player himself doesn't hear those criticisms and take them to heart in such a way that it changes his game any more than a natural development and learning curve does. I don't think this is a situation like Steve Yzerman where Scotty Bowman took him aside and convinced him to sacrifice some offense to become better all-around for the good of the team. I don't think the Senators want Karlsson reined in at all, because he is so much better and has the potential to be a point per game player in an era where those are few and far between, especially among defensemen. He has gotten better defensively every year, and after all the best defense is to have the puck 100 feet from your net going the other way.
Sometimes I think people confuse "can't" with "don't". It is the same as giving superstars roles they aren't familiar with and don't play with their club teams when it comes to international competition. Just because Rick Nash doesn't play a shutdown role on his NHL team doesn't mean he can't if it is required, but it is that his skill is better utilized elsewhere.
It is simply a case of Karlsson making the best of his given abilities and the coaching staff putting him in the position to do so. If that means not playing on the penalty kill in favor of playing a full two minutes of almost every power play because he can, that is what he does best, and he is the best option, so be it. That is simply getting the most out of your assets.
Which is something that the Senators and Dave Cameron seemed to do very well over the second half of the season and should continue into the new one.
And the answer to the question above, is 4.
Subban was credited with 97 hits and Karlsson with 93, both in 82 games. And for the record, I just chose Subban because the two are often compared to each other, and he has the reputation as a "hitter", (although also a rather unwarranted reputation for lack of defensive awareness), not as a slight on his play.
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