KARLSSON SAYS HE’S AT PEACE WITH STAYING PUT
Senators captain says pre-deadline trade speculation was ‘extremely stressful’
Even Erik Karlsson was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Now, after not getting dealt at the NHL trade deadline Monday, Karlsson would like everybody to move along.
Speaking to reporters before the Ottawa Senators faced the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Tuesday evening, the Senators’ captain indicated he was happy he hadn’t been dealt and was open to the idea of signing long-term if he was part of the organization’s plans for the future.
He could become an unrestricted free agent if he’s not signed to an extension before his current contract expires on July 1, 2019, and the Senators can’t have any formal contract talks until this summer.
“I love this city, I love this community, I love everything about it,” Karlsson said. “I’ve been here for a long time. I’ve made Ottawa my home and it’s always going to be my home. When that time comes, I hope there’s a place for me in the future and this team is going in the direction that I would like for us to have a chance in the near future.”
This marked the first time Karlsson, 27, had to go through a trade deadline with his name at the forefront of speculation. Usually a cool customer, he admitted it had been tough.
“It’s been an extremely stressful time for me and my family,” Karlsson said. “I have a wife (Melinda) that’s halfway through pregnancy, we just bought a home in Ottawa, so it’s been a new experience for me and for everybody that’s close to me.”
Drafted 15th overall in 2008, Karlsson said he never asked the Senators for a trade and didn’t want to go anywhere.
“I never wanted to leave. I never had any say in that,” Karlsson said. “That’s a different part of the business that I can’t control. Hearing your name being thrown around as much as it was is very stressful and not something I enjoyed going through.
“I love it here and I’ve always loved it here. I think the city of Ottawa has really made it home for me. I love everything about it. I love the fans and I’m at peace with where I’m at. I signed a long-term deal here for a reason.”
The Senators, sitting 29th overall in the NHL standings, were listening to offers when teams called before the deadline. In the end, general manager Pierre Dorion was never close to a deal to move Karlsson, but it’s believed six other teams all made pushes to get him.
Despite many reports to the contrary, Dorion and Senators owner Eugene Melnyk were in no hurry to move Karlsson. If a deal happened, it wasn’t going to be for the sake of making a trade, it was about getting the right assets in return.
“You hear a lot of different things and, from my experience, what I’ve learned for the most part is that not even half of it’s true,” Karlsson said. “But when it involves yourself, you seem to take it a little bit more seriously, which is something I haven’t experienced before.
“Whether I thought I was going to leave or not, I just wasn’t too worried about anything else other than hoping I was going to stay here.”
Karlsson said he didn’t know the specifics of the plan Dorion indicated would be put in place to get the Senators back into contention, but he was willing to do his part for the rest of this season to help younger players who will get chances to perform at the NHL level.
“I’m happy with the business part being over and I’m going to be glad be back playing hockey for my team,” Karlsson said. “I think that once the season is over we’re going to sit down.
“I don’t really know. There’s been a lot of changes made here recently and I’m sure there’s going to be a lot more as we head into the summer. Where that’s leading, I don’t know. I can’t speculate on that, so there’s no point for me to worry about that right now.
“I’m just going to worry about finishing this season as good as possible and trying to make sure that some of the younger guys that are going to have regular spots next year are as comfortable as possible for when we start up next year.”
There’s no question that the teams that displayed interest already, and possibly others, will want to restart trade talk before the NHL draft in June, but Dorion said Monday the Senators would make their franchise player a contract-extension offer if he was here after July 1.
“I’m going to worry about this year and I’m going to do everything I can to be the best that I possibly can for myself and for my teammates,” Karlsson said. “We have a lot of new guys and younger guys coming in here and it’s my responsibility to help them.
“That’s what I’m going to have to worry about. The business part is going to have to wait for me a little bit now. When that time comes, that decision is going to be made on my part and whatever the big bosses decide is not going to be my decision.”
Karlsson said he didn’t know what the next step would be for the team.
“I’m sure they’ll lay (the plan) all out for me, and whether I’m in that future or not isn’t my decision,” Karlsson said.