Senators’ Erik Karlsson could return to lineup as early as Tuesday

Erik Karlsson talks about the status of his ankle and how he is getting closer to returning to the ice for the Ottawa Senators.

Ottawa Senators star defenceman Erik Karlsson could make his season debut as early as Tuesday, the team’s head coach Guy Boucher told reporters Saturday.

When asked if he fully expects Karlsson back in the lineup next week Boucher responded by saying, “yes.” When asked specifically if Karlsson playing Tuesday was a possibility he also responded, “yes.”

The team is set to finish up a three-game Western Canadian road trip Saturday night in Edmonton against the Oilers before returning home to host the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday. Ottawa defeated Vancouver 3-2 in a shootout earlier this week and blanked the Calgary Flames 6-0 Friday.

Karlsson hasn’t played since undergoing off-season surgery to repair torn tendons in his left foot suffered during the Senators’ playoff run this past spring.

The two-time Norris Trophy winner began skating in late September and all indications are that his rehab has gone smoothly.

[relatedlinks]

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.