The Ottawa Senators will get their beating heart back on the ice in time for Tuesday night’s game against Vancouver. After missing the first five games of the 2017-18 season, Erik Karlsson will make his return from injury for the Senators’ next game.
Erik Karlsson to make his season debut for the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday
Karlsson missed the first five games of the season recovering from offseason foot surgery.
Senators head coach Guy Boucher told reporters Monday morning that Karlsson is 100% ready to play, and the 27-year-old defenseman will suit up for the first time this season.
The Senators’ captain missed the entirety of training camp and the preseason recovering from foot surgery. Back in June, Karlsson underwent surgery to repair two torn foot tendons that he sustained taking the Senators to the Eastern Conference Final last season.
While Karlsson was in “good spirits” in the days leading up to training camp, there was no official timetable for his return due to the nature of the recovery. When Karlsson was ruled out of playing for the Senators on opening night, the news came with gross detail about his settling foot tendons.
In preparation for the move, Thomas Chabot was sent down to the AHL on Sunday, signaling that Karlsson’s return was all but imminent.
Without Karlsson, the Senators went 3-0-2 on the season and have won their last three straight games. In their previous outing, Ottawa blew out the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 6-1 in a dominant showing against one of the more offensively potent teams in the NHL.
Karlsson’s return to the Senators strengthens their core tremendously, as the veteran defenseman will no doubt once again notch nearly 30 minutes a game for Ottawa on the blue line.
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