The San Jose Sharks took another step towards finally getting all the way back to full strength as they recalled Melker Karlsson from the San Jose Barracuda on Monday.
The 25-year-old Karlsson was one of the few bright spots for the Sharks last season, but he missed the first 14 games of this year after battling a lower-body injury all throughout training camp. Thus far in 2015-16, Karlsson has been able to appear in just four games with the Barracuda, notching two assists.
Karlsson came out of nowhere to be named the Sharks Rookie of the Year last season, as he scored 13 goals and 11 assists in 53 games with San Jose. Also, Karlsson was a minus-three for the season with 100 shots on goal in averaging 15:26 of ice time.
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He spent a majority of his time on the top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski, and proved he could play in a variety of different roles with the Sharks. While he likely won’t begin up top as rookie Joonas Donskoi, whose 2015-16 season is shaping up in a lot of ways to mirror Karlsson’s, has played very well, expect to see Karlsson in a third-line role where he could hopefully help lengthen the Sharks lineup.
San Jose could use all the help they can get at the moment as they try to establish their own identity and some semblance of consistency. The Sharks have struggled to carry any momentum and have tried different lineup combinations in hopes of finding that right mix.
Maybe the addition of Karlsson into the lineup will help provide a spark this group needs. Peter DeBoer seemed to think that getting a healthy Karlsson back should be a good thing for this team (via Kevin Kurz of Comast Sportsnet Bay Area):
The versatility of a player like Karlsson, who can play in any situation, should help this Sharks team in playing a better all-around game. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Karlsson on the penalty kill, where San Jose currently ranks 25th in the league. He could also be of use on the second power-play unit, where the Sharks sit 28th in the NHL.
Now, the Sharks are just waiting on Ben Smith and Logan Couture to return to action as San Jose’s injury list continues to dwindle.
Next: Joonas Donskoi Settling Into Top Line Role With Sharks
Hopefully, for the Sharks sake, the “Melk Man” can rediscover his game in quick fashion that made him such an effective player for San Jose last year.