THN: Sens risk alienating Karlsson

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:
If you're basically promised something, have it taken away along with no friends really, no home, no family, and in a forigne country, I would be steamed and defently would consider going home.

I understand it's a tough thing to take, but again, this is not someone who's not playing NHL hockey next year. He's 100% a LOCK, all he needs to do is show up in Bingo and play. He's an NHLer next year, he has a lot of great things to look forward too.

Valid points. My concern is whether or not Murray took the time to go over this with him before calling him into the office and laying it on him. I didn't see it coming because of what Murray had said in the media earlier on. We can only speculate as to whether or not Murray kept the lines of communication going on a regular basis with him. You're right, Karlsson needs to be a professional about this and go about his business, getting ready for next year. But, if I put myself in his shoes and go through the same process, if Murray calls me into his office out of nowhere and throws that on me- "pack your bags kid, your time is up"- ya, I'm pissed and it's not something I can just let slide within a bus ride to bingo. He seems to be a motivated and level headed kid so I hope he bounces back and makes the right moves but, Murray most certainly hurt his development (at least temporarily) if it went down the way it looks in the media.

Exactly Prages. The young rookie D men that are hanging around are ones that produced and showed they can be impact players where Karlsson did not.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Exactly Prages. The young rookie D men that are hanging around are ones that produced and showed they can be impact players where Karlsson did not.

Again, I don't think anyone can argue that point (although, who knows where he would've been stats wise with a full season beside Kuba). I take issue with how Murray handled this. We don't really know one way or the other. It just seems off to me that Murray tells the media one day that he's staying and the next he's gone.

N4L wrote:Doesnt matter, man. The kid literally has nothign at this point, in another country once again, in a city where there's nothing to do, so on and on. Karlsson got screwed in a large way. It was the right move for the current Sens, but very well could have been a very wrong move for Karlsson.

Two words for Karlsson, "Too bad".

Explain how he got screwed by the Sens, I think EK is a victim of reading his own press clippings.

Sens management should be concerned that there is nothing to do in the city that he plays. Big deal suck it up and play. Use this as motivation going forward.

Do we have another Heatley on our hands?

It's a totally sensationalist piece of journalism, if you ask me. Every team who sends down every young guy risks alienating them -- it's only the guys who consider the KHL a serious option (usually Russian born) that you really need to worry about. I get that the culture thing is a real concern, and I'll concede that, but this is not the first or last time a highly touted, 1st round, European born player had to spend time in the minors.

I don't see these kinds of reports on Nikita Filatov, for instance -- who spent almost all of last year in the minors, who is Russian and so a more likely candidate to go to the KHL, and who, when he does play in the NHL this year, is largely miscast as a 4th liner. It happens to a number of players on a number of different teams on any given year. You have to earn your spot and your time.

Karlsson didn't stand out against Campoli or Picard -- he had to be noticeably better, not just as good or marginally better -- so we decided to save a year of his contract. Simple as that.

I would not jump to the conclusions that Karlsson is going to become another Heatley, I understand he is being upset at being sent down, but he is a 2 way contract that hasn't played well enough to stay, or at least enough better than Picard or Campoli to warrant BM risking the waiver loss on them or trading those two, so zip it, go back to the minors or Sweden, get better and play hard, you will be called up this year and have another crack at it next year.

What a garbage article. Of course the kid is pissed, but alienating him. In my memory the two guys who whinned and moaned the most after not making the team were Chris Phillips and Jason Spezza. They're both still here, stupid overblown op-ed piece.

Robby and Rooney - I agree 100%. Sensationalist piece of journalism to say the least.

Point being is Karlsson was fine with staying in Sweden and playing there while developing, instead he is told there is a spot waiting for him, while he makes the team he is told he isnt going anywhere, and while he is here he is basically put in a spot to fail, not succeed.

Filatov was 100% prepared to come over to NA to playin in either The AHL or NHL, Karlsson wasnt. He was convinced to come over by Murray.

I get why it was done but Karlsson absolutely got the shaft here.

As for comparing him to Heatley...? WTF?! Did he report to Bingo, yes. Has he done everything that was asked of him? Yes. Thats a stupid comparisson. I would be furious too if that's the position I was put in by Murray and The Sens. Literally, the kid is 19 years old with no support off the ice at this point and probably feels pretty helpless at this point. It's not his country (niether Canada or The States), he has no family what so ever, and feels a little betrayed by Ottawa and Murray.

The fact he is still here says more about him than anything because he had every reason on the planet to go back to Sweden and I would have 100% understood and agreed if he did. He's not even an adult and people are talking like he's a primadonna.

The actual level of play isnt going to hurt his development but a lot of off ice stuff could.

I never want to hear the names Heatley and Karlsson in the same sentence again. Really.

RobbyJ wrote:What a garbage article. Of course the kid is pissed, but alienating him. In my memory the two guys who whinned and moaned the most after not making the team were Chris Phillips and Jason Spezza. They're both still here, stupid overblown op-ed piece.

Both those guys gave up very little to play professional hockey. They both played Jr and are very much being prepared for The AHL and NHL. It's not about crying and moaning over things, it's about what he was told/promised and what he gave up based on that.

Unreal how people fail to see anything outside of hockey at times. Most people here usually dont especially with young KIDS.

wprager wrote:I think TSN is just trying to generate a story for some web traffic. He's an undersized, underaged rookie defenseman. Take a look at what Del Zotto has done to keep himself in the lineup. Other rookie defensemen (Demers, Myers, Hedman) have all out produced Karlsson. I'm not knocking Eric, but he did not knock anyone's socks off, and with the Sens shaping up to be a middle-of-the-pack team, why burn a year of his ELC?

Karlsson will create a lot of bad will if he goes back to Sweden. Why would he do that when his career is all in front of him? This is going to be just 6 months and then he'll be done. Plus he'll definitely get to play in the WJHC -- not sure the Sens would have let him go if he was on the active roster.

He'll be fine and will come back stronger and with more desire.

Even though he's in Bingo, they are burning an ELC year. He's playing pro hockey under his two-way ELC. What the Sens don't lose however, is a year of seniority, meaning this year won't count towards his RFA/UFA status, should he remain in Bingo all year.

I am not worried about Karlsson. What will worry me is his attitude if we pile up some injuries and Lee is called up before Karlsson. I wonder what that will do to his confidence/atttitude.

hemlock wrote:
Even though he's in Bingo, they are burning an ELC year. He's playing pro hockey under his two-way ELC. What the Sens don't lose however, is a year of seniority, meaning this year won't count towards his RFA/UFA status, should he remain in Bingo all year.

I am not worried about Karlsson. What will worry me is his attitude if we pile up some injuries and Lee is called up before Karlsson. I wonder what that will do to his confidence/atttitude.

Uhh....

N4L wrote:Point being is Karlsson was fine with staying in Sweden and playing there while developing, instead he is told there is a spot waiting for him, while he makes the team he is told he isnt going anywhere, and while he is here he is basically put in a spot to fail, not succeed.

Filatov was 100% prepared to come over to NA to playin in either The AHL or NHL, Karlsson wasnt. He was convinced to come over by Murray.

I get why it was done but Karlsson absolutely got the shaft here.

As for comparing him to Heatley...? WTF?! Did he report to Bingo, yes. Has he done everything that was asked of him? Yes. Thats a stupid comparisson. I would be furious too if that's the position I was put in by Murray and The Sens. Literally, the kid is 19 years old with no support off the ice at this point and probably feels pretty helpless at this point. It's not his country (niether Canada or The States), he has no family what so ever, and feels a little betrayed by Ottawa and Murray.

The fact he is still here says more about him than anything because he had every reason on the planet to go back to Sweden and I would have 100% understood and agreed if he did. He's not even an adult and people are talking like he's a primadonna.

The actual level of play isnt going to hurt his development but a lot of off ice stuff could.

That kind of assumes the key point in question, tho'. I agree, the 'he's staying' message the week before really looks bad on us now, but I really don't think anyone guaranteed him a spot in the NHL -- at least we haven't been given the evidence to suggest that that was the case.

Anyway, we have no idea how much time BM and Karlsson discussed the possibility of him making or not making the team, and/or whether Bingo was mentioned as a real possibility. For all we know, it was talked about extensively. Surely everyone knew the score with the 9 games thing.

I get the culture / support thing you (and the article author) mention, but it does take at its base the assumption that Karlsson was given guarantees that he'd be on the team -- which I really doubt is the case, and if it were, where's the evidence to support the assertion?

SpezDispenser wrote:

hemlock wrote:
Even though he's in Bingo, they are burning an ELC year. He's playing pro hockey under his two-way ELC. What the Sens don't lose however, is a year of seniority, meaning this year won't count towards his RFA/UFA status, should he remain in Bingo all year.

I am not worried about Karlsson. What will worry me is his attitude if we pile up some injuries and Lee is called up before Karlsson. I wonder what that will do to his confidence/atttitude.

Uhh....

LOL, I just noticed the Lee called up thread.

N4L wrote:Point being is Karlsson was fine with staying in Sweden and playing there while developing, instead he is told there is a spot waiting for him, while he makes the team he is told he isnt going anywhere, and while he is here he is basically put in a spot to fail, not succeed.

Filatov was 100% prepared to come over to NA to playin in either The AHL or NHL, Karlsson wasnt. He was convinced to come over by Murray.

I get why it was done but Karlsson absolutely got the shaft here.

As for comparing him to Heatley...? WTF?! Did he report to Bingo, yes. Has he done everything that was asked of him? Yes. Thats a stupid comparisson. I would be furious too if that's the position I was put in by Murray and The Sens. Literally, the kid is 19 years old with no support off the ice at this point and probably feels pretty helpless at this point. It's not his country (niether Canada or The States), he has no family what so ever, and feels a little betrayed by Ottawa and Murray.

The fact he is still here says more about him than anything because he had every reason on the planet to go back to Sweden and I would have 100% understood and agreed if he did. He's not even an adult and people are talking like he's a primadonna.

The actual level of play isnt going to hurt his development but a lot of off ice stuff could.

19 isn't an adult?

N4L wrote:

RobbyJ wrote:What a garbage article. Of course the kid is pissed, but alienating him. In my memory the two guys who whinned and moaned the most after not making the team were Chris Phillips and Jason Spezza. They're both still here, stupid overblown op-ed piece.

Both those guys gave up very little to play professional hockey. They both played Jr and are very much being prepared for The AHL and NHL. It's not about crying and moaning over things, it's about what he was told/promised and what he gave up based on that.

Unreal how people fail to see anything outside of hockey at times. Most people here usually dont especially with young KIDS.

Canadian kids give up a crap load to go play Junior at 16 years old. In the WHL some guys move 3 provinces away from home to play. Kids move away to play midget.

Kids leave for NCAA scholarships at 18, sometimes at places as glamorous as North Dakota.

You make it sound as if Karlsson is the first kid to leave mommy to follow his dream.

This isn't a shot a Karlsson, it's a shot at your overprotective attitude towards him.

rooneypoo wrote:

N4L wrote:Point being is Karlsson was fine with staying in Sweden and playing there while developing, instead he is told there is a spot waiting for him, while he makes the team he is told he isnt going anywhere, and while he is here he is basically put in a spot to fail, not succeed.

Filatov was 100% prepared to come over to NA to playin in either The AHL or NHL, Karlsson wasnt. He was convinced to come over by Murray.

I get why it was done but Karlsson absolutely got the shaft here.

As for comparing him to Heatley...? WTF?! Did he report to Bingo, yes. Has he done everything that was asked of him? Yes. Thats a stupid comparisson. I would be furious too if that's the position I was put in by Murray and The Sens. Literally, the kid is 19 years old with no support off the ice at this point and probably feels pretty helpless at this point. It's not his country (niether Canada or The States), he has no family what so ever, and feels a little betrayed by Ottawa and Murray.

The fact he is still here says more about him than anything because he had every reason on the planet to go back to Sweden and I would have 100% understood and agreed if he did. He's not even an adult and people are talking like he's a primadonna.

The actual level of play isnt going to hurt his development but a lot of off ice stuff could.

That kind of assumes the key point in question, tho'. I agree, the 'he's staying' message the week before really looks bad on us now, but I really don't think anyone guaranteed him a spot in the NHL -- at least we haven't been given the evidence to suggest that that was the case.

Anyway, we have no idea how much time BM and Karlsson discussed the possibility of him making or not making the team, and/or whether Bingo was mentioned as a real possibility. For all we know, it was talked about extensively. Surely everyone knew the score with the 9 games thing.

I get the culture / support thing you (and the article author) mention, but it does take at its base the assumption that Karlsson was given guarantees that he'd be on the team -- which I really doubt is the case, and if it were, where's the evidence to support the assertion?

He made the team out of camp (rightfully so and earned) then stated to the public he was staying... short of Murray putting his **** right in his ***, that's about as hard as you could get ******