After all that, the Senators didn’t trade Erik Karlsson
The biggest name on the market stayed put as the Ottawa Senators kept captain Erik Karlsson despite multiple suitors.
The Ottawa Senators didn’t need to trade Erik Karlsson, but with things going south and the relationship looking fractured, it may have been necessary. Plenty of teams made their pitch to the Senators, with the Vegas Golden Knights being the most aggressive, per Bob McKenzie:
VGK was the team in the hardest on Erik Karlsson in the final hour but did not get a deal done with OTT.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 26, 2018
Karlsson has another year remaining on his deal that will pay him $6.5 million next season. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent in 2019. There’s still a chance the Senators move him in the offseason.
The price was likely high for the franchise defenseman. He won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman in 2015 and finished second in each of the last two seasons. He’s the best offensive defenseman in the league and a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Rumor has it that Ottawa was looking for teams to take back Bobby Ryan’s contract as part of the trade. Ryan is owed $7.2 million up until 2022. The attachment of Ryan and his contract would have lowered Karlsson’s value.
The Senators currently sit 15th in the East and are potentially without their first-round pick, having traded it to the Colorado Avalanche in the Matt Duchene deal. The Senators could opt to keep their 2018 first-round pick depending on where it falls in the lottery, but would automatically relinquish their 2019 first-round pick to Colorado.
In his press conference following the deadline, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said, “Erik’s a franchise player. There was no franchise deal out there that could satisfy us to make the best hockey deal.”
Dorion went on to state that the team did not actively shop Karlsson, but did listen to offers. He did not dismiss the possibility of trading Karlsson in the offseason. He did say, “If Karlsson is here July 1, we’ll be making him a contract offer.”
Next: NHL Trade Deadline 2018: Rumors and deals tracker
Reading between the lines of Dorion’s press conference, it certainly sounds like the Senators will continue to listen to offers for Karlsson following the playoffs. Get ready for more Karlsson rumors as the draft approaches.