Senators’ Erik Karlsson on return date: ‘I’m not really sure’

During an upcoming appearance on Tim & Sid, the Ottawa Senators captain explains why he's refusing to put a firm timetable on when he'll be able to suit up in the regular season as he rehabs his leg injury.

Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson is not skating at the moment and says he doesn’t have a timetable for a return to the ice following off-season foot surgery.

Karlsson, who was a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman this past season, underwent a procedure in June to repair tendons in his left foot. He’s reluctant to say exactly when he’ll return to game action.

“I’m not really sure,” Karlsson told Sportsnet’s Tim & Sid during an interview that will air Thursday at 5 p.m ET. “Hopefully I can skate in the near future. Once I do that, we’ll have more of a timeline on where things actually are at. But at the end of the day, it’s something I’m not going to rush.

“I’m going to make sure when I do come back, I’m going to be 100 per cent and it’s not going to affect me going forward in my career.”

In the full interview, which you can watch Thursday at 5 p.m. ET on Tim & Sid, Karlsson also touched on the following:

• His health in the playoffs last year
• The loss of his defence partner, Marc Methot
• His disappointment at the NHL not going to the Olympics

The Senators open their season Oct. 5 against the Washington Capitals.

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