Erik Karlsson leads the NHL with 12 assists going into Tuesday night's action. The offensive rearguard has 13 points in 12 games this season. He has fired an astounding 36 shots at opposing goaltenders already, which ranks him second in the league among defensemen. Karlsson continues to struggle at times in his own end, but his offensive body of work makes him a great fantasy player to have on your roster and he is proving that again early into this year.

Erik Karlsson scored a goal and added an assist in the Senators' 7-2 loss to the Flyers Tuesday night. Karlsson has been an offensive dynamo this year, but his weak supporting cast is punishing his plus/minus rating, as it did last season. Jason Spezza was the only other Senator to find the back of the net in what was a forgettable night all-around.

Erik Karlsson feels prepared to take on a leadership role with the rebuilding Ottawa Senators this season. He especially wants to help the young Swedish players that the Senators have in their system get acclimated to North America like Daniel Alfredsson did for him when he arrived. "I remember how much (Alfredsson) meant for me when I came here," Karlsson said. "Even though I haven't been here as long as he had when I got here, I still think it's good for the guys to come in here and speak their own language sometimes, if there's anything they need to know." The Senators have a plethora of Swedish prospects in their pipeline with David Rundblad, Andre Petersson, Robin Lehner and Mika Zibanejad set for starring roles in the near future. Karlsson's growing maturity and offensive skills should help Ottawa this campaign, but his defensive game still needs to show improvement.