Remember all the public criticism of Erik Karlsson last August, when the Senators captain was pushing 200 pounds, perfectly content to gradually work his way back into peak form as training camp approached?
Forget about that this time around.
Thanks to the fast approaching World Cup of Hockey, Karlsson is far ahead of his normal off-season schedule.
Karlsson, who is earning rave reviews for his conditioning level, heads overseas Saturday to begin preparations for the opening of Sweden’s training camp in Gothenburg on Sept. 5.
“We’re going to play our first competitive game in early September (Sept.