For Joe Thornton and the Sharks, there is an understanding of what an emotional roller-coaster ride being back in Ottawa is for Karlsson. Thornton spent the first eight seasons with the Boston Bruins before being traded to the Sharks, so he is well aware of the experience of returning with another team to the city you broke into the NHL with. That's why it wasn't surprising that he led the Sharks in a round of cheers and stick taps when Karlsson stepped onto the ice for practice Friday.
Will the reception from the Ottawa fans be just as warm for Karlsson for the game against the Senators at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; TVAS, TSN5, NBCSCA, NHL.TV)?
"That's one of those things I know it's coming up and I know it's there and whatever happens in the moment is going to happen," Karlsson said. "I'm going to try and enjoy it."
Mark Stone thinks Karlsson has plenty of reason to do just that. The Senators forward predicts his former teammate will get the type of cheers he so richly earned.
"I think he's probably going to get a standing ovation," Stone said. "I think he deserves it. He earned that with the way he played on the ice every night. He's one of the best players to ever play in Ottawa, so he deserves that.
"Ultimately, he's a friend of ours, one of the best players to ever play here, and the things that he did during my time here was nothing short of spectacular. You remember the good times we had, the playoff run that he carried us on, those are the things he should be remembered for."