Senators trade Karlsson to Sharks

The Erik Karlsson era is over in Ottawa. The Senators traded the star defenceman to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, just one day before Ottawa hits the ice for training camp. The Senators dealt Karlsson and prospect forward Francis Perron to the Sharks. Ottawa gets forwards Chris Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers, defenceman Dylan DeMelo, prospect forward Josh Norris, a conditional 2019 secondround selection and a conditional 2020 first-round pick, If San Jose re-signs Karlsson, Ottawa receives a conditional 2021 second-round selection. Karlsson, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, spent the last nine seasons in Ottawa. Speculation about the captain’s future had been a hot topic in what has been a headline-loaded off-season for the Senators. The team said it offered Karlsson, who can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, a contract extension on July 1. The six-foot, 191-pound Swede was drafted by the Senators with the 15th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He made his debut in Ottawa the following year. Karlsson’s breakout campaign came in 2011-12 when he had 78 points (19 goals, 59 assists), while averaging 25:19 of ice time. Ottawa fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in double overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final in 2017, but struggled mightily last season, finishing 30th in the 31-team NHL with just 67 points. Karlsson put the Senators on his shoulders in the 2017 playoffs, leading them in scoring with 18 points — including two gamewinning goals — in 19 contests, averaging more 28 minutes of ice time despite having torn tendons in his left foot, which required off-season surgery. Karlsson had 62 points (nine goals, 53 assists) in Ottawa’s disastrous 2017-18 campaign.