The San Jose Sharks announced that defenceman Erik Karlsson is out for the rest of the season with a broken thumb. Karlsson will undergo surgery to repair the broken thumb in the upcoming days. Jake Middleton was recalled in a corresponding move from the San Jose Barracuda.
Erik Karlsson Injured
Karlsson suffered a broken left thumb in the game against the Winnipeg Jets. Karlsson left the game and did not return.
So far this season, Karlsson has six goals and 34 assists for 40 points to go along with 16 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 53.2 percent Corsi For and a relative Corsi of 4.8.
Over his 11-year NHL career, Karlsson has played for the Ottawa Senators and the San Jose Sharks. He has 135 goals and 468 assists for 603 points in 736 career games. He was originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the first round, 15th overall in the 2008 NHL draft.
Karlsson has been one of the best offensive defencemen since he entered the league in 2009-10. Consistently competing for the Norris Trophy in the prime of his career, there was rarely anyone more dangerous on the backend then him. Although Karlsson has fallen off a bit, he is still a stalwart on the backend and his absence will be felt by the Sharks.
What This Means for the Future
The Sharks simply cannot catch a break this season. With Karlsson out, the Sharks simply add another name to their long list of injuries this season. With Logan Couture on injured reserve and Tomas Hertl out for the season, the Sharks simply want this season to be over. The Sharks are well out of a playoff spot at this point and hope that their misfortune continues as the Senators own their first-round pick this draft from the Karlsson trade.
The Sharks play the Minnesota Wild tonight before they head home to play the Florida Panthers on Monday.
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