Forget about free agency - July 1 may be the day Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson is traded from the Canadian capital.
TSN's Bob McKenzie has the details:
Action picking up on Erik Karlsson trade talks in OTT. Some with teams prepared to take Bobby Ryan but some with teams not taking Ryan.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2018
Karlsson, 28, is heading into the final season of his contract, which will pay him $6.5 million. He can officially sign an extension with his club on July 1, but it appears more and more unlikely it will be with the Sens.
McKenzie tossed out the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights as potential destinations for the all-world defenseman.
I’ll be curious to see how hard TB might push on Erik Karlsson. BTW, four of TB defencemen are UFA next summer. TB of course would be one of the teams not taking on Bobby Ryan.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2018
Even after adding Paul Stastny, I believe VGK still have interest in Karlsson and are prepared to take on Bobby Ryan. But a lot of balls in the air in VGK. Still talking to James Neal.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2018
The Senators recently traded Mike Hoffman after revelations that his fiancee allegedly harassed Karlsson's wife, leading to some speculation that Karlsson could stay in Ottawa. However, as ownership and financial issues seemingly continue to dog the Senators, the defenseman may not be amenable to sticking around.
Karlsson is one of hockey's most talented players, and any trade will reverberate across the league.
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