National Post (National Edition)
KARLSSON MUM ON FUTURE
It’s the losing that bothers Erik Karlsson a lot more than any trade rumours swirling.
After a report Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada said the Ottawa Senators’ captain was asked to submit a 10-team no-trade list to the organization, Karlsson told the media Tuesday, before the facing the Buffalo Sabres, the request didn’t bother him one iota.
“That’s one of the things that’s in my contract ... it’s business,” said Karlsson. “I don’t read too much into it.”
The report led to speculation Karlsson may be dealt before the Feb. 26 trade deadline, but the reality is the Sens have asked players with no-move or no-trade clauses to submit lists.
While Karlsson wouldn’t confirm whether it’s the first time he’s been asked to submit a list since signing a deal that pays him $6.5 million per season through 2018-19, he was asked if he’d heard any backlash from GM Pierre Dorion or others in the organization after comments about his contract two weeks ago. “No, not really,” said Karlsson. Not long after the club’s 15-day road trip got underway, Karlsson indicated he wasn’t going to sign for anything less than market value when he became an unrestricted free agent, whether it was in Ottawa or somewhere else. He has since claimed those words were “taken out of context” and his priority is to stay with the Senators.
“I said what I said and whether I meant the way that you spun it, I’m not going to stand here and backtrack or say that I said something different,” Karlsson said. “It’s what it is.
“Right now ... making sure we get out of this slump is all that I care about.”
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s game against the New York Rangers, the Senators need to get Derick Brassard going to have any chance to make the playoffs. New York’s Rick Nash has eight goals and 16 points in 30 games this season and needs to start producing more offensively.
Here are five things to watch heading into Wednesday’s game:
1 GET TO THE KING
In 38 career games against Ottawa, Henrik Lundqvist has a 16-18-3 lifetime record with a 2.05 GAA and .931 save percentage with two shutouts.
2 HOME SWEET HOME
After the road trip, the Senators should be happy to get back to the Canadian Tire Centre, but the club has been mediocre there (4-5-5).
3 STOP ZUCCARELLO
Mats Zuccarello must like seeing the Senators. He has five goals and 11 points in 13 career games versus Ottawa.
4 BIG GAME FROM ANDERSON
Craig Anderson has lost seven straight games and needs a victory to get back on track. He hasn’t gotten a whole lot of help defensively.
5 SCORE ON THE POWER PLAY
It’s ranked 27th in the league before Tuesday and can’t get much worse, but it needs to contribute.