On the Ottawa Senators …
Shawn Simpson: “Sens can’t do anymore trades based on money. Assets in or out need to be hockey trades. The organization is running dry based on money for picks/players!”
Arash Madani of Sportsnet: Erik Karlsson told a Swedish newspaper that his comments about looking for top dollar on this next contract were taken out of context. On Saturday Karlsson spoke with Sportsnet. When asked about his thought process on his next contract.
“To be honest with you, it’s not something that I’ve really thought of. I don’t really know why I spoke out about it. It’s not something that’s been on my mind. I love it here in Ottawa, it’s never, ever crossed my mind that I ever want to leave here or go somewhere else. That’s not something I’ve ever considered. That they spun it that way, that’s the way it is.
I’m happy where I am. It’s not something I try and focus on. I try and do my job right now. When that time comes, that’s something that we’re going to deal with. And, again, it’s a business, it’s a two-way street. I’m happy where I am and I hope that they’re happy where I’m at. And again, it’s a two-way street. So, I’m going to do my part, and I’m sure they’re going to do theirs. It’s not something – leaving – that I’ve ever considered.”
Karlsson said that winning is the most important, that he thinks the Senators are moving in the right direction, and that he wants to win in Ottawa.
When asked if he’d consider a market-valued deal this offseason, or if he wants to test the open market.
“That’s something we’re going to have to deal with when that time comes. It’s not something we’ve considered, since those are discussions haven’t even started. When the summer hits here, we’ll re-evaluate and see what’s going on and what’s best, and, as I said, I’m happy where I’m at, I want to stay in Ottawa and hopefully they want to keep me here.”
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Bob McKenzie was on TSN 690 yesterday and was asked about Sportsnet’s report of the Senators to ask Erik Karlson for a no-trade list.
“On one level it’s kind of a formality that Karlsson was asked for his no-trade list, and he was. But it’s not a formality, and here’s why it’s not a formality – because he’s never been asked for his before, is my understanding. It’s normal for the general manager of a hockey team, especially the general manager of a hockey team that’s playing as poorly as the Ottawa Senators are – but even so, every general manager usually, at some point of the season, will request the list of no-trades. Players have no-trade clauses. Some have clauses that say which teams can be traded to or can’t be traded to. So they ask for those to be officially submitted. So Pierre Dorion did that with all of the players on the Ottawa Senators who have a no-trade clause in their contract, and that included Erik Karlsson.”
McKenzie doesn’t think for a moment that the Senators are on the phone looking to trade Karlsson, or that they’d consider it at this point in the season. They may not consider it at any point this season.
McKenzie believes they the Senators and Karlsson will sit down this summer and see where things are at.
McKenzie adds that he believes the Senators are looking to make a move and that Mike Hoffman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau have come up. They are looking to make a “hockey deal” and not for draft picks.
