Erik Karlsson Reportedly Open to Being Traded Back to Ottawa
Is there a trade that makes sense for Ottawa to bring back its former captain?
Erik Karlsson Reportedly Open to Being Traded Back to OttawaWhen the Ottawa Senators began their rebuild in 2018, they had to say goodbye to two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, one of the most dynamic, skilled defencemen in the game.
Fast forward five years and things have come full circle.
The San Jose Sharks have begun their own rebuild and are now ready to say goodbye to Karlsson as well.
At age 33, Karlsson remains one of the most dynamic, skilled defencemen in the game. In fact, this year he became the first NHL defenseman to reach 100 points in a season since Brian Leetch in 1991-92 and is widely expected to win his third Norris Trophy Monday night.
If that rebuilt ankle had been bothering him at all in recent seasons, it certainly wasn't this year. He played all 82 games and his skating looked as good as it ever has.
Karlsson has four years left on his contract at $11.5 million a year and wants to go where he has an opportunity to win. In the midst of a rebuild, the Sharks plan to oblige.
Adding some new intrigue to this story is the report from Shang Peng, who writes for NBC and San Jose Hockey Now. According to Peng, Karlsson told Swedish media in Nashville on Sunday that he'd be open to a trade back to Ottawa.
The last time the Senators were in the playoffs was 2017, and it was Karlsson who led them to the Eastern Final, in rather spectacular fashion.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNCHHSgS6EE[/embed]
His reasons for being open to a return to Ottawa are probably a lot like Claude Giroux's last summer. Both players lived here for a long time, their wives are from Ottawa, they're both well into their 30s, hoping to win a Cup, and they both have two young kids, who'd like to see more of their grandparents.
And they're probably impressed with the potential here, even seeing some of it first hand in summer pro skates around town.
But does the notion make sense for the Senators? Would this be something GM Pierre Dorion even entertains? He can probably expect a call from Sharks GM Mike Grier but does it go anywhere beyond that?
Probably not. But never say never.
The Sens would have to ask the Sharks to pick up some of Karlsson's money and then they'd probably have to part with a good young player (or two) along with a useful prospect/pick (or two). Basically, the Sharks would be hoping to get back some of the types of assets they gave up when they acquired Karlsson five years ago.
Would a package involving Thomas Chabot make sense? They're very much the same kind of players and both have four years left on their contracts. Chabot is seven years younger and $3.5 million/season cheaper. That would check off some boxes for the rebuilding Sharks. For Ottawa, Karlsson is far more productive than Chabot and a proven playoff performer. As a righty, the swap would also solve the left shot overload in Ottawa's top four.
With hopes that Chabot heals up that wrist and returns to form, that's probably not a deal the Sens would make at this point. They'd look at Chabot and see a beloved part of a strong young leadership core. Who knows what happens to chemistry if you bring back the old captain, a player with tons of personality and confidence?
That being said, they just brought in Giroux – another veteran NHL captain – who's older than Karlsson. And things have worked out pretty well.
The Sens would also consider Karlsson's age (33) and wonder how many more Norris calibre years he has left in him. Ottawa's window is opening and Karlsson's may soon start to close.
But you also can't forget the fairly recent example of another uber-skilled Swede, Nicklas Lidstrom, who won Norris trophies at age 35, 36, 37 and 40. Lidstrom is an outlier, of course, but was still playing at a high level at 42. Karlsson will only be 37 when his contract expires in four years.
And when trying to identify Ottawa's specific window of opportunity, it should be noted that Brady Tkachuk's contract expires in five.
The Sens also have a new hockey-crazy owner coming in, who might have a few excitable, off-the-record thoughts on the idea.
No matter what happens with this, the Senators obviously have the NHL's best intel on Karlsson. They'll be able to make a good, informed decision because they know exactly what they'd be getting, on the ice and in the room. No one knows the score with this player better than Dorion. He was the one who traded Karlsson away and now, if the price is right, he has the option to bring him back.
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