Major update on Erik Karlsson just in time for the final game of the season.

The San Jose Sharks are about to get a whole lot better.

According to a report from San Jose Sharks insider Kevin Kurnz of The Athletic the Sharks will be injecting star defenseman Erik Karlsson back into the line up this evening for their final game of the 2018 - 2019 National Hockey League regular season. This is huge news given the fact that the prognosis on Karlsson has been very poor since he want down with an injury all the way back in February of 2019. 

The Sharks had gone on record to state that Karlsson would return to the line up before the end of the regular season and I suppose the fact that he will make it in to the line up on their final game of the season does make them technically correct. What it also does however is raise some questions about how fit Karlsson is to be playing at this time, something that unfortunately has become a reoccurring question regarding the star blue liner. Karlsson has been unable to play since February and there is some concern that the Sharks may be having him come back tonight so that he can get his timing back before the team enters the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Karlsson has played through some rather significant injuries in his past and at times it has led to some frankly epic performances on his part, especially during one particular run to the Eastern Conference Final for the Ottawa Senators. Karlsson basically played on one leg during that run but it would go on to cost him significantly in the long term, and there is understandably concern that Karlsson may be doing something similar this time around. Of course that is all speculation at this time as there has been absolutely no indication from any source that Karlsson is indeed being rushed back into the line up.

That being said there are going to be a lot of eyes on him tonight and I would not be surprised if there might even be a target on his back as well. The Sharks are obviously hoping he can bounce back to mid season form in short order. 

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