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EDMONTON — The Ottawa Senators will have Erik Karlsson waiting for them when they arrive home from Western Canada on Sunday.

If all has gone well during the past seven days, head coach Guy Boucher said Saturday afternoon, the club’s captain could suit up for his first game since off-season foot surgery as early Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks in the opener of a five-game homestand at Canadian Tire Centre.

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If Karlsson doesn’t play then, Boucher said before the Senators faced off against the Edmonton Oilers, he’s fully expected to play later in the week, meaning either Thursday against the New Jersey Devils or next Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The good news is that Karlsson is close to returning and any points the Senators can collect until then — they had six in the first four games— are already in the bank.

“I think all points, whether your best player is in or are out, are crucial at anytime,” centre Nate Thompson said. “But, for us, to have guys step up and play bigger minutes and fill that void, you’re not going to have guys play like (Karlsson), but, when you have guys (doing the job) in a committee-like way, I think it’s big.