Erik Karlsson finally comments on the possibility of being traded

He even talked about ONE team in particular!

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Erik Karlsson finally comments on the possibility of being traded
Keystone Press

According to many National Hockey League insiders, the Ottawa Senators came extremely close to trading their star defenseman Erik Karlsson at the trade deadline, on Monday. The Vegas Golden Knights apparently had a huge interest for the 27-year-old blueliner, but weren't able to strike a deal on time with Sens' general manager Pierre Dorion. According to Elliotte Friedman, Vegas' GM George McPhee's offer was interesting, but obviously not good enough:

“So I think that Vegas stepped up. They offered some players, some draft picks – probably about six pieces – and they offered to take Bobby Ryan.”

Just minutes after the game between the Sens and the Knights, on Friday night, a reporter asked Karlsson what his reaction was when he heard all the chatter surrounding Vegas, and how they almost went all-in on him. Here's what he said, according to SinBin Vegas:

That’s part of the business. I really didn’t know what really transpired or happened behind the scene. (The Golden Knights) were obviously one of the teams that was thrown out there a lot. They’re a good team and they were pushing for it, so nothing unexpected.

He also said he likes where the team is going, and that George McPhee is one hell of a general manager:

It’s a great city and they have a great team. Their general manager McPhee, is a really good general manager and he’s been around for a long time. I think he’s going to build a good team, not only for now but the future as well. It’s definitely an attractive city.

Interesting comments from the Sens' captain, who will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2018-19 season. Many people believe he will certainly command much, much more than his current $6.5 million contract. Some are even saying the talented blueliner might earn way north of $10 million a year.

Even if the Sens have been truly horrible since the start of the season, Karlsson somehow still managed to amass 47 points in 58 games. This is much less than his 82 points in 82 games back in 2015-16, but still remarkable considering his team has a record of 21-29-10 and 52 points.

Source: SinBin Vegas