Before defenseman Erik Karlsson even suited up in a Senators uniform, fans in Ottawa were given a sneak peek.
It was in the 2009 IIHF U-20 Championship where Karlsson made a name for himself. His efforts had him tied for first in scoring among blueliners with nine points and helped Sweden capture a silver medal.
What may be even more impressive was the fact that he beat out the likes of P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, and countryman Victor Hedman to earn the honors for top defenseman of the tournament.
Needless to say, his performance left Sens fans wanting more.
Though he was listed at 5'11" and weighed a mere 165 pounds, Senators management had seen enough of him to believe he could handle the responsibility of providing an offensive spark on defense.
There was no surprise that GM Bryan Murray moved up in the draft to take Karlsson with the 15th overall selection.
After Karlsson was signed to an entry-level contract at the conclusion of the 2009 regular season, Murray was ready to say that he expected him to crack the Senators top six defensemen. His play in training camp and during the exhibition schedul ...
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Article written by Chris Bouthillier
Erik Karlsson: Almost Ready to Step into Ottawa’s Limelight
February 24th, 2010 by Chris Bouthillier Leave a reply »
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