Pierre Dorion has made a rather significant promise about Erik Karlsson's future.
The Ottawa Senators general manager had the following exchange at a town hall meeting with season-ticket holders Tuesday night:
Fan to Dorion: "Can we get an assurance that you're not going to trade Erik Karlsson at the NHL Draft?"
— TSN 1200 (@TSN1200) April 11, 2018
Dorion, very confidently leans forward and says, "Yes."
Room erupts with applause.
The Senators reportedly fielded offers for the superstar defenseman in February before opting to keep him through the trade deadline. The prevailing sentiment at the time was that Ottawa would revisit the matter at the draft.
Karlsson has one year remaining on his contract, meaning Ottawa can offer him an extension as early as July 1, 2018.
Last month, Dorion said they plan to do just that, and the GM repeated that Tuesday night, according to The Athletic's Chris Stevenson, adding that he had a 30-minute chat with Karlsson on Monday.
Dorion also said at the town hall that he plans to offer Karlsson an eight-year deal, per TSN's Brent Wallace. That would be the longest term the Senators can give him under the CBA, while other teams could offer him a maximum of seven years if he reaches unrestricted free agency on July 1, 2019.
The 2018 NHL Draft will be held in Dallas on June 22 and 23.
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