With only four weeks until training camp opens, this off-season hasn’t been kind to anxious Senators fans. The club’s franchise player, Erik Karlsson, remains in the fold, but for how long? And what of Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and their futures in Ottawa?
During a series of Town Halls in April, season ticket holders aired their concerns to team owner Eugene Melnyk and GM Pierre Dorion insisting they do everything they can to keep the All Star defenseman in Ottawa long term. The Senators GM said he wouldn’t deal Karlsson at the NHL Draft and would offer what was deemed a “fair deal” July 1.
The Senators offer is believed to be in the $10M-plus range AAV on an eight-year contract extension. It’s unknown what figure Karlsson’s camp, Newport Sports Management, tabled.
If no agreement is in place by mid-September, the Senators’ captain will head to camp one season away from unrestricted free agency.
Mainly due to the Senators GM opting to take on a silent tone, contract talks have been eerily quiet. To be fair, no one can blame Dorion.
“Whether it’s (Mark) Stone, (Cody) Ceci, (Matt) Duchene, Karlsson, I don’t think it’s fair. When you start to talk about it, you tip your hand. People start reading too much into things, and we don’t want that. We have a lot of respect for our players we have here,” explained Dorion at his last media availability July 1.
A trade is still a possibility. However, chatter has quieted to a whisper. The Golden Knights, Lightning and Stars were reportedly attempting to pry the two-time Norris Trophy winner from the Senators’ clutches, but obviously returns weren’t enough to make a swap.
MORE: Senators offseason report card
In past seasons the organization came under fire for forced trades under extenuating circumstances.
Case in point, the dealing of Dany Heatley to the Sharks and Jason Spezza to the Stars. While Milan Michalek achieved one 35-goal season with the Senators after being acquired for Heatley, he failed to reach the 40-point plateau in any of his other six campaigns in Ottawa. While all the team has to show for Spezza is Nick Paul. The 23-year old still hasn’t cracked the NHL roster on a full-time basis.
The thought of the Senators franchise player being dealt is too much for many fans.
Three such fans echoed identical sentiments to the Sporting News, two of whom are long term season ticket holders who are holding off from renewing, pending Karlsson re-signing with the team.
Enzo – age 53 – Season Ticket Holder 23 years
“I advised my sales rep I’ll wait until whatever happens with Erik Karlsson. The recent events seem to be compounding. There doesn’t appear to be any good things coming out of this. It’s very discouraging, very upsetting. As a diehard Sens fan, I think I share this sentiment with others, considering just over a year ago, we were a goal away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.”
David – age 37 – Season Ticket Holder 10 years
“Prior to this season it’s (owning season tickets) everything I asked for. I automatically hit renew. Essentially, the big kicker is: what’s going to happen with Erik Karlsson? If you tell me you’ve got to trade the best player the franchise has ever had over money, I’m not interested. For whatever reasoning they say, if he doesn’t want to stay, the owner and management are the ones that set up the environment for the players to want to stay there.”.
Andrea – age 48 – Season Ticket Holder 6 years
“We have four seats in the 100 level. We like our location. That’s why we renewed. Now I want my money back. Honestly, if they don’t have a Karlsson, they don’t have (Mike) Hoffman. They’ll have a bad team. What am I going to watch for 44 games? We won’t be able to give these tickets away. I’m a little upset.”
Compounding this is the fact Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and Stone are all potential UFA’s at the conclusion of next season.
Stone who avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $7.35M contract Aug. 3, didn’t dismiss signing with the Senators long term once eligible Jan. 1, but there was no ringing endorsement either.
“I’m not even thinking about it right now. I’m just excited to get the season underway and help this team win more hockey games…I know where I’m going to be at the start of the year,” Stone said in an interview on TSN1200 slightly over a week ago. “Look at Colorado, at what they did. Any team in the league can compete for a playoff spot. We have one month before the start of the season. We have to build for the now. We have to build for the start of the season.”
Dorion has a conundrum on his hands, a veritable Catch-22 situation, if you will. Dealing any of his potential core UFA’s will no doubt draw criticism from the Senators’ fan base - even if it involves perceived fair return. However, if the GM holds on to any of these players well into next season without getting pen to paper, he risks losing key assets without getting anything of value in return.
Dorion’s work is cut for him in the coming weeks and months, He has to put closure to the Karlsson dilemma one way or another prior to opening night puck-drop Oct. 4. For Karlsson, Stone and Duchene, it surely won’t be a pleasant environment having to face contract questions day in, day out.
The GM has a golden opportunity to draw undecided Sens fans back to their awaiting seats. If Dorion can get his stars to commit, fans will follow suit.