According to TSN’s Shawn Simpson, the Ottawa Senators are about to pull off a blockbuster move. General manager Pierre Dorion has agreed to trade super Swede, and face of the franchise, Erik Karlsson to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com says the move is close but not yet done.
More to come.
https://twitter.com/TSNSimmer/status/1015057166426877952
No confirmation on the report out of Ottawa that a deal is done pending a trade call and while sense is this might be getting close, it's sounds like it's not to that point yet
— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) July 6, 2018
Report: Ottawa Senators Will Trade Erik Karlsson to the Tampa Bay Lightning
Key Players
In Karlsson, the Lightning get one of the top defensemen in the league, with a huge personality to match. Last season, he scored nine goals and 52 assists for 63 points in 71 games. He also added 36 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers are 51.4 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of +6.4. Those totals are down compared to 2016-17, where he scored 17 goals, 54 assists for 71 points. However, it just highlights the Sens poor performance last season as a whole. Karlsson, by his lofty standards, struggled after off-season surgery removed a large portion of his ankle bone.
The talented 27-year-old has spent his entire nine-year NHL career with the Senators. He was originally drafted by them in the first round, 15th overall of the 2008 NHL draft. In return, he has put up an impressive 126 goals and 392 assists for 518 career points in 627 career games.
What This Means for the Future
The Lightning will add a huge component to their team. Karlsson is an exceptional defenseman, few can compare in the current league. The two-time Norris Trophy winner has proved he is the ultimate playmaker. The NHL All-Star will be a great asset to the Lightning and might put them over the hump in competing for the Stanley Cup.
It will be a great loss for the Senators, it’s no secret that they have struggled this season. It’s also no secret that Eugene Melnyk has traded there most valuable player due to an unwillingness to pay a high price for him. Karlsson is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019.
