As the mid-point of the NHL season nears, the race for the Art Ross Trophy is beginning to heat up, with Chicago's Patrick Kane leading the way with 62 points over 44 games.
Karlsson, an all-star defenseman, ranks fourth among NHL skaters in points with 45, which puts him on pace for an absurd 88 points. Ottawa's top three point scorers are Karlsson (45) and forwards Bobby Ryan (36) and Mike Hoffman (35).
A big part of Karlsson's success has been the ample amount of ice time he receives, averaging 28:36 TOI per night. Below is a list of the top four defenseman with their average time-on-ice and point totals:
| Name | Team | Time On Ice | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Karlsson | OTT | 28:36 | 45 |
| Ryan Suter | MIN | 28:24 | 27 |
| Drew Doughty | LA | 28:00 | 24 |
| Alex Pietrangelo | STL | 26:42 | 16 |
Karlsson logs just 12 more seconds of ice-time than Suter, yet he is close to doubling Suter's point total, even though both blue-liners anchor their respective power-play units. Doughty plays a similar role with the Kings, but his production isn't anywhere near Karlsson's.
The Senators live and die through Karlsson, whether it be on the power play or the penalty kill. His slick play and tremendous offensive ability make him a force to be reckoned with and unstoppable when he skates in the open ice.
Karlsson also ranks second among all skaters with 36 assists and has scored nine goals this season. Though he is known as a playmaker from the point, Karlsson takes a high volume of shots, leading the Senators with 113.
In 2013-14, Karlsson took 257 shots and scored 20 goals for a shooting percentage of 7.8. Last year, he peppered 292 shots on net and scored 21 goals, resulting in a 7.2 shooting percentage.
The Senators captain doesn't take the significant amount of shots that Sharks defenseman Brent Burns does, however, Karlsson does rank eighth among defenseman in shots on goal.
| Name | Team | Shots on Goal | Goals | S% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Burns | SJ | 173 | 17 | 9.8% |
| Justin Faulk | CAR | 130 | 14 | 10.8% |
| Dustin Byfuglien | WPG | 129 | 9 | 7.0% |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | ARI | 118 | 11 | 9.3% |
| Torey Krug | BOS | 118 | 3 | 2.5% |
| Alex Pietrangelo | STL | 115 | 3 | 2.5% |
| P.K. Subban | MTL | 114 | 2 | 1.8% |
| Erik Karlsson | OTT | 113 | 9 | 8.0% |
The only three players to outscore him on this list are Burns, Faulk and Ekman-Larsson. The rest are well-known names around the league, most notably Subban, who has scored just two goals on 114 shots thus far.
Throughout the last three seasons - excluding the NHL lockout in 2012-2013 - Karlsson has led all defenseman in points with 195, a whopping 71 more points than the next highest-scoring defenseman, Byfuglien.
Karlsson has been a fantastic play in all formats and his ownership still remains relatively low, due to DFSers spending up at the forward position. He's surprisingly cheaper than Burns and produces at the same rate.
Verdict: FACT
