"You'd say no, but then there's nights when he does something and you're like, 'Where did that come from?'" Jaycob Megna, Karlsson's usual defenseman partner, said Dec. 22. "I'd like to think at this point he doesn't have any more tricks up his sleeve, but you never know on any given night. He's so talented and always seems to make the plays that a lot of guys can't even see."
Karlsson has 16 multipoint games this season, three with at least four points. That included his first NHL hat trick Nov. 1.
"He's special. He's unbelievable," Sharks coach David Quinn said Dec. 22 after Karlsson had four points. "You watch that guy out there, he's playing a video game. It's really amazing to watch him when he's on his game. He's had a [heck] of a year for us. ... He's really been everything you could want from a coaching standpoint. He's special, and it's not a mystery why he's won two Norris Trophies (2012, 2015) and I can see more Norris Trophies coming his way."
Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1-basis): Erik Karlsson, Sharks, 54 points (7 first-place votes); Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets, 46 (4); Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche, 36 (1); Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres, 35 (1); Adam Fox, Rangers, 18; Hampus Lindholm 13 (1); Roman Josi, Nashville Predators, 4; Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars, 3; Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings, 1