LA Kings: Three things you must know ahead of matchup with Sharks
By Ryan Sikes
1. Erik Karlsson still struggling with Sharks
As the former 15th overall pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2008 NHL Draft, Erik Karlsson became one of the premier point-producers along the blue line. Prior to the 18-19 season, the Senators traded Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks for quite the haul. Karlsson scored just three goals in his first season with the Sharks, but he chipped in 42 assists.
The 30-year-old signed a Drew Doughty-type extension to remain in San Jose – an eight-year deal worth $92M. He didn’t play particularly well in 19-20, tallying six goals and 34 assists, quite the dropoff from the 18-19 season. To add insult to injury, through ten games this season, he has just three points – three assists, to be specific.
He continues to be part of the team’s first powerplay unit, which has been a primary factor why the Sharks’ play on the man advantage has been abysmal. Karlsson recently spoke with The Athletic reaffirming he is indeed healthy, but he’s just not getting it done as previously noted. Advanced metrics indicate Karlsson has the worst expected-goals differential on the club — 5.06 goals for to 8.86 goals against.