Erik Karlsson wants the trade speculation to calm down. After expressing that he wouldn’t consider taking a “hometown discount” to stay with the Ottawa Senators when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, and then being one of the players asked to submit his “no-trade” list on the weekend, rumors have run wild. Karlsson wants to put an end to that, and in speaking with Arash Madani of Sportsnet tried his very best.
This is the place I want to win with. I want to win in Ottawa. That’s where I’ll always be. It’s going to be my home, no matter where I end up playing when I get older, if that ever happens. So that’s the thing: I want to be where home is. I’m comfortable at home, I like it at home and Ottawa is home. Not only the organization, but the community and all my friends as well. That’s something that’s very important to me. Then, all the other stuff, they will just follow.
Karlsson regrets speaking about his future contract negotiations, but when they came during an anchor-like plummet to the bottom of the standings by the Senators they rang with a note of truth and expectation. The Senators have lost 11 of their last 12 games, including a 5-0 pummeling at the hands of San Jose on Saturday night. Ottawa was outshot 50-25 in the game, and now sit lower than all but the Buffalo Sabres in the Atlantic Division.
Still, despite many outlets (PHR included) suggesting it may be time to consider a move, Karlsson doesn’t appear to be on the block. In fact, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun cites two league sources that tell him Karlsson hasn’t been discussed at all in trade talks with GM Pierre Dorion. Garrioch instead suggests that the trio of Mike Hoffman, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Cody Ceci represent the “three best options that will bring return.” Hoffman was also among the group asked for their no-trade lists, while Pageau and Ceci have been linked to trade talks in the past.
The biggest decision still lies with Karlsson, who has 136 regular season games remaining under contract with the Senators. Whether they can even afford his next huge contract will be a huge factor in what happens during the end of this deal, as Dorion will surely get as many assets as possible if he realizes there is no extension coming. The two sides are able to negotiate on a new deal once July 1st, 2018 rolls around, a day circled on the calendar of many Ottawa fans.
If Ottawa felt like just giving him to the penguins that would be pretty cool.
Send him to Toronto for Marner, Carrick and a 1st.
CJ, you must be a fan of Toronto? The Leafs are loaded up with “young” talent,m one of the best coaches & to top it off; a front office that knows how to run a multi-million dollar hockey team. Man, I’m jealous because I have to put up with the Red Wing circus. But, I am a huge fan of the Original Six but only when one of them doesn’t play the Wings.
Yeah a Leafs fan for sure. And being realistic, can they sign all 3 of their young star forwards and be relatively weak on D? The money they’d spend on Marner could be put toward extending Karlsson, and the Leafs also have young Liljegren who says he models himself after Karlsson. Who better to teach him how to play like EK that Erik himself? Yes tons of young talent, but who other than Marleau is there past this year that could fall into the “leader” category? And the Leafs were a circus not so long ago so keep your chin up and get rid of Holland and that’ll be the first step to following the rebuild path like Toronto. Think about it, 2 years ago there was literally NO hope on the horizon for Toronto.
Hey CJ, you have it right about Detroit. Both Holland & Blashill need to go right now but the rumors here in Michigan say that both will be let go when their contracts are done at the end of this season.
Plus, the Wings will not get any better until every bad contract expires. One of thge reasonsx that you guys ended up with, in my opinion,
Sorry CJ, but there will be two messages for you & I am not sure how it happoened. You guys ended up with, in my opinion, the best coach in hockey because Ken Holland always told Babcock who to play & who to sit.
Mike Babcock just couldn’t do the job that he was hired to do. It is a mess in Detroit that is only going to get worse. But that is why hockey is the best sport in the world.
When I was scrolling through the articles quickly it literally looked like Erik Karlsson was a bearded lady. That is all I have to offer on the matter.