Charles LeClaire – USA TODAY Sports
Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson was injured during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 13 when Penguins forward Matt Cooke‘s skate blade inadvertently cut Karlsson’s Achilles’ tendon. Karlsson immediately fell to the ice and was escorted off to the locker room by the Senators trainer and a teammate.
Karlsson underwent surgery to repair the tendon the following day and the Senators reported that he would be out for the season. Reports have said that Karlsson’s recovery is going well and he has been skating on his own for about 30-40 minutes a day since this past Monday which no one had expected. Of course with this new development in his rehabilitation, recent speculation has been that he may be back sometime this season. In fact, Renaud Lavoie of RDS tweeted that Karlsson could be back within 3-4 weeks:
Erik Karlsson should be back in Senators line up between 3 to 4 weeks if rehab goes well. #RDS
After Lavoie tweeted this, the Ottawa Citizen spoke to Karlsson’s agent, Craig Oster, via email and he is reporting that although Karlsson is progressing, there is no timetable for his return.
“Erik is continuing to progress,” he wrote. “He and the organization are going to ensure that he is fully healthy and at minimal risk of complications before he considers a return to play. “The healing process seems to be going well. No definitive timelines.”
The Senators look like they would greatly benefit from the talents of their Norris Trophy winner, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be back anytime soon according to his agent.
Stephanie Lewark is an NHL and Pittsburgh Penguins Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter (@steelcitysports), check out her Facebook page, or add her to your Google+ circle.
