Karlsson’s future remains up in the air

The waiting game continues for Erik Karlsson and the Ottawa Senators.

With slightly more than 48 hours remaining until the National Hockey League trade deadline on Monday, what was once unthinkable could become reality with the Senators listening to offers for their captain and franchise player.

While the odds of Karlsson being dealt were zero only 10 days ago, they have increased dramatically in the past week, and general manager Pierre Dorion’s phone has been ringing constantly with several teams calling.

If — and it’s a still a very big if — the Senators can get a deal in place to send Karlsson elsewhere in exchange for a huge package of assets, it’s possible Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre could be his last in an Ottawa uniform.

At this point, it’s still a long shot, but neither is it outside the realm of possibility.

Though it’s hard to pin down what teams have shown interest in the 27-year-old Karlsson, a twotime Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenceman, the Tampa Bay Lightning remain the most obvious candidate, with sources saying the Bolts have expressed interest more than once.

A league executive also indicated the expansion Vegas Golden Knights may also be in the mix because they feel they have an opportunity to win immediately and Karlsson might be the missing piece to the puzzle.

The Nashville Predators have also reportedly shown interest.

Really, though, what’s happening at the moment is anybody’s guess.

Part of what’s complicating the deal is that the Senators may want to include winger Bobby Ryan and his US$7.5-million salary-cap hit through 2021-22 in the deal. There have been suggestions that any team involved in Karlsson trade talks may want to get a third team involved.

Nobody is sure where this is going to go, if indeed a deal this big could get done by Monday, but anything is possible. If the Senators don’t get what they want, it could be put on the backburner until the summer, when more teams would be ready to make a move.

One way or another, this could be an emotional afternoon for Karlsson, but there was even discussion Friday that the Senators may want to consider not dressing him for the game against the Flyers if they were genuinely close to a deal.

“The more and more we listen to stuff, the more and more we feel that it’s a little bit real that it might happen,” former Senators goalie Patrick Lalime said Friday from his home in Trois-Rivières, Que.

"I can see as a team that you’re going to get a lot back for him, and in the long term it might be the good thing. It’s just that you can’t find another Erik Karlsson. People can say whatever they want about the way he plays and look at stats, but I still think he’s the best.

“The way I look at it, when you have one of the best at his position … I know (Wayne) Gretzky got dealt but, to me, I look at it and I say, 'Wow.' I would love to be on the other side, receiving Erik Karlsson.”

Dealing Karlsson wouldn’t sit well with Senators fans. The mere mention has set off alarm bells, but it would serve notice that the organization was ready to do a complete rebuild.

Indications are Karlsson hasn’t told the Senators anything regarding his long-term future, and the club can’t talk formally about a contract extension until the summer. It’s believed he’ll want an eight-year deal worth between $10 million and $12.5 million annually.