Erik Karlsson makes return to San Jose with Penguins in desperate need of a win

In terms of what the San Jose Sharks accomplished over his five years with the club, 2018-19 represented the high-water mark of the Erik Karlsson era in San Jose.

The Sharks that season advanced to the Western Conference finals, where they were defeated by St. Louis in six games, with the Blues going on to win their first Stanley Cup over Boston.

On the individual level, a memory from that year that surely is near to Karlsson’s heart came Dec. 1 when he returned to Ottawa for the first time since the Senators traded him to the Sharks a few months prior.

Karlsson, who spent the first nine seasons of his NHL career with the Senators from 2009-18, won the Norris Trophy twice (2012, 2015) in an Ottawa sweater and was a five-time All-Star with the club.

Karlsson’s reputation as an elite offensive defenseman with generational playmaking and scoring abilities first took root in Ottawa.

Predictably, the fans at Canadian Tire Centre welcomed him back warmly that night.

Late Saturday evening, when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Sharks, Karlsson will return to San Jose for the first time since being shipped to the Penguins in July as the centerpiece of a blockbuster three-team trade.

“I think it’s going to be different than (returning to Ottawa) in some regards,” Karlsson said. “It’s going to be nice to be back in San Jose, to see a lot of familiar faces and meet a lot of people I haven’t seen in awhile. It’s also nice that it’s early in the season, so we kind of can get it over with a little bit and move forward. I got a lot of good memories there, and I’m hoping to create some more good memories in that rink.

“It’s going to be a nice little trip to have this early in the season.”

Following the Sharks’ run to the Western Conference Finals, the remainder of Karlsson’s time in San Jose saw the club fail to make the postseason over four straight years.

Karlsson missed significant time because of injury in both 2019-20 and 2021-22 as well as 29 regular-season games throughout his debut campaign.

But without question, in his final act with San Jose, the play of Karlsson was one of the few things Sharks fans had to cheer, as his 25 goals and 76 assists last season were produced on a team that went 22-44-16 and finished seventh in the Pacific Division and third-to-last in the West.

Karlsson’s efforts last year earned him a third Norris Trophy.

“The city appreciates what he did in his time there,” forward Matt Nieto said. “I’m sure he’s looking forward to it. He had some good years there. I think it will be a special time for him.”

Nieto, whose NHL career began with the Sharks in 2013, played parts of seven seasons in San Jose, three with Karlsson.

When the puck drops Saturday, the Penguins (3-6) will begin play from dead last in the Eastern Conference.

“I think we’re not hanging heads in here,” Karlsson said. “I think that we’ve played some really good hockey. We also know that we haven’t played some of the best that we have. So I don’t think we have to change very much. I think we have to dial in a few (things), keep going and try to get accustomed to each other as much as we can.

“ … We’re going to take it game by game, try to make it one (win) in a row, and keep it one in a row moving forward like that. We gotta start somewhere and getting a win, no matter how we get it, would be nice.”

Through nine games with the Penguins, Karlsson has produced two goals and four assists while leading his new club in average ice time (25 minutes, 24 seconds).

As anticipated, Karlsson has become a staple on the Penguins’ top power-play unit, with his 3:32 nightly average on the man-advantage also leading the team.

Yet, the Penguins sit in the cellar of the East and own a power play (25.0%) that ranks 12th league-wide.

Per Natural Stat Trick, the Penguins have registered 154 shots with Karlsson on the ice, with opponents managing 113.

When Karlsson is skating, the Penguins have both scored and allowed 13 goals.

For coach Mike Sullivan, the play of Karlssonmay be described as a microcosm of the Penguins themselves: still ironing out some kinks.

“I think there’s another level to his game that he can bring to our team, and we’re working through that process right now,” Sullivan said. “But we all have seen elements of his ability to drive offense. We’re hoping we’ll get a little bit more consistency with that over the course of a 60-minute hockey game, but he’s a guy that we’re excited about having. We have to figure out how to maximize his ability level.”