Is Erik Karlsson a Hall Of Famer?
Erik Karlsson joined a pretty cool list last night. The Swede became only the ninth defenseman in league history to win the Norris Trophy three times. The previous eight were all inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame — even fewer won the trophy with multiple teams.
With the former Senators captain reaching a historic landmark, it’s worth asking if he deserves to be in there as well. Let’s go over the reasons why and why not.
The Case For Him Joining
Obviously, winning three Norris Trophies help. Karlsson was the only standout on a Sharks team that was outright terrible this season.
Let’s put his bounce back season into perspective. He put up 76 assists and 101 points in a full 82 games this season. For reference, he had 73 assists and 97 points in 158 games over the past three seasons. Many, including myself, thought he was a finished article. One of the best offensive defensemen of his generation, but now riding off into the sunset.
But he completely blew that out of the water. The closest Karlsson has ever gotten to this in his career in terms of scoring was 82 points back in 2015-2016. Out of the eight hall of famers he joined last night, only Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey have exceeded 101 points in a season. Denis Potvin has matched it but with more goals and fewer assists. The type of production we saw from EK65 this season can only be described as historic.
I also posted a poll on Twitter to see what people thought. The results so far are pretty resounding:
The Case Against Him Joining
The one thing Karlsson doesn’t have that the other eight defensemen do is at least one Stanley Cup. For both Ottawa and San Jose, he has come painfully close to glory. In 2017, the Senators were one goal away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final. However, they fell in brutal fashion in overtime of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. That Sens team was quickly dismantled in the following years. Furthermore, Karlsson carried his team for three rounds on a broken foot. Up until now, many believed that decision ruined his career.
His other close call came in 2019, during his first season with the Sharks. After coming close in recent years, many believed he was the missing piece that would send them over the top. They faced the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Finals, the series was tied 2-2 heading back home to northern California. However, the Sharks lost the next two games by a combined score of 10-1 as St. Louis went on to win the Stanley Cup.
The Bottom Line
Karlsson has already voiced his desire to play for a contender. However, the issue of finding a team willing to take on his massive contract remains. At age 33, his contract carries a whopping $11.5 million cap hit for another four seasons. He sadly doesn’t have many more years to chase the Stanley Cup. Unless the Sharks are willing to retain some salary, finding a new team won’t be easy.
In my honest opinion, I believe Erik Karlsson is a Hall of Famer. Hockey, like all sports, is defined by eras. The greatest players define their eras. I think he deserves it considering he’s the first defenseman in over twenty year to win the Norris three times. However, there will certainly be a crowd that won’t be convinced until he’s a Stanley Cup champion.
