Player Discussion Erik Karlsson Discussion Thread | Part IV | Foot Surgery Edition

[Erik Alfredsson]

Truth ot not the media and especially the to based ones will run with this for as long as it takes, mark my words by the end of it the value will be through the floor....seen it with Heatley and Spezza, seems to be a sport of its own for them.

Oh the media tries their damn hardest to see to it that Ottawa fails. Difference is Ottawa has no intention of trading Karlsson, while they pretty much had to trade Heatley and Spezza.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Oh the media tries their damn hardest to see to it that Ottawa fails. Difference is Ottawa has no intention of trading Karlsson, while they pretty much had to trade Heatley and Spezza.

Meant to put the caveat for my post that if we decide to move him....im personally still undecided on if i would or not

 

[The Lewler]

Of course the media runs with it. Only way to get eyeballs is to talk Karlsson.

 

[pepty]

Senators' Erik Karlsson: I want to win in Ottawa - Sportsnet.ca
I love it here in Ottawa, it’s never, ever crossed my mind that I ever want to leave here or go somewhere else. That’s not something I’ve ever considered. That they spun it that way, that’s the way it is.
I’m happy where I am. It’s not something I try and focus on. I try and do my job right now. When that time comes, that’s something that we’re going to deal with. And, again, it’s a business, it’s a two-way street. I’m happy where I am and I hope that they’re happy where I’m at. And again, it’s a two-way street. So, I’m going to do my part, and I’m sure they’re going to do theirs. It’s not something – leaving – that I’ve ever considered.

 

[Ice-Tray]

I for one appreciate EK coming out and clearing the air on the issue. It was an ill conceived set of comments spun out of context or not, and it was a solid move to put fears to rest, or at least calm the storm. It's time to focus on winning some games, and I for one am happy to hear him say over and over again that he wants to stay with the Sens.

EM for all of his faults has never failed to pay one of our core players needing a raise, so there is no reason to think he will start now. Turris leaving was a Dorian decision, and isn't really a money saving issue at all given that Duchene will cost at least the same or more.

What was also interesting was some comments about Boucher and EK working together to help EK understand his injury and what he is capable of. It didn't really sound much like there was a coach/player issue there (not a lot of info to go on, so grains of salt required). What was telling was that EK is not feeling great, and is not capable of playing up to his usual standard yet. He has to learn how to get there again and it will take time. The message here is that this may be a lost season due to EK's playing ability, personal changes, and weak goaltending.

However, EK wants to stay and should be ever getting closer to his usual level, the new guys will gel, Andy will have his bounce back year, another big trade will see Hoffman/Ceci gone for something better for us, and we'll have a top pick from this upcoming draft.

All in for NEXT YEAR!

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Ya'll forget Erik is a Swede. He wasn't brought up being coached into doing the bland vanilla North American interviews....or bothering about the repercussions of talking. He said what was on his mind at the time and simply responded to the questions asked.

I'm sure every player in the league wants to get what they feel they "deserve," and often have hard feelings with management, especially when the CBA is getting close to expiry. And guys want to win. And have fun. And be in a positive atmosphere. When any of those things aren't happening, chances are they won't be happy. It doesn't necessarily mean they'll run away at the first opportunity.

 

[slamigo]

Sorry, but Karlsson has a duty, as a premier player, to seek out what he is worth. If he doesn't, he's basically screwing over every other defenceman in the league. Just because he is comfortable with 10M instead of 12M, that translates downward and impacts the guys making less. People assume they're being selfish, but really, Doughty and Karlsson are looking out for the other players and taking the heat for that stand.

 

[NyQuil]

Sorry, but Karlsson has a duty, as a premier player, to seek out what he is worth. If he doesn't, he's basically screwing over every other defenceman in the league. Just because he is comfortable with 10M instead of 12M, that translates downward and impacts the guys making less. People assume they're being selfish, but really, Doughty and Karlsson are looking out for the other players and taking the heat for that stand.

Bleh, I don't buy that for a second.

Although you'd make a great agent or union representative.

This isn't going to be Paul Kariya playing in Colorado for $1.2M.

1 or 2 million up or down isn't going to cripple the league.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

EK should get what he is worth ,.. no argument... Its good he further explained his stance... IMO he should have said "This is not the time to talk about my contract. I will discuss this with the Senators when the time is right" PERIOD... no issues.

 

[Agent Zub]

Bleh, I don't buy that for a second.

Although you'd make a great agent or union representative.

This isn't going to be Paul Kariya playing in Colorado for $1.2M.

1 or 2 million up or down isn't going to cripple the league.

No but the idea that billionaires want players to take paycuts in a league that is worth billions and the players the sole attraction. Must rub a lot of them the wrong way.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking to be paid for what you're worth.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

LeBrun On Karlsson Trade Potential And Senators Ownership
McKenzie Analyzes Karlsson No-Trade List Report
Friedman Delves Into Karlsson No-Trade List Report
EuGenius: the hypocrisy in the response to Karlsson’s comments | The 6th Sens

 

[aragorn]

EK should get what he is worth ,.. no argument... Its good he further explained his stance... IMO he should have said "This is not the time to talk about my contract. I will discuss this with the Senators when the time is right" PERIOD... no issues.

While I agree with you, what is Karlsson worth right now? He's a minus 16 & doesn't look like anything near his old self & only has one goal this yr. He's also back to sucking defensively. While most think he will eventually break out of this slump, nobody really knows for sure if he will ever return to the player he was. Who thought when Mac was first injured in that freak accident that that would eventually result in ending his career?

Crap happens in pro sports & as you get older it becomes harder & harder to come back from injuries & not have injuries hamper your game for the remainder of your career. Look at Ryan, I would argue his slump & inability to regain top form consistently seems to be the result of injuries. Same for Smith & now Boro this yr, injury after injury take their toll. Maybe Karlsson rebounds & maybe he doesn't & we are witnessing the beginning of the decline, who knows.

I'd wait until the summer but at that time I would certainly consider moving Karlsson rather than having to pay him & rebuilding with good young players. We seem to have a boat load at the moment & could add a few more with a few moves over the next yr or two.

 

[Sureves]

While I agree with you, what is Karlsson worth right now? He's a minus 16 & doesn't look like anything near his old self & only has one goal this yr. He's also back to sucking defensively. While most think he will eventually break out of this slump, nobody really knows for sure if he will ever return to the player he was. Who thought when Mac was first injured in that freak accident that that would eventually result in ending his career?

Crap happens in pro sports & as you get older it becomes harder & harder to come back from injuries & not have injuries hamper your game for the remainder of your career. Look at Ryan, I would argue his slump & inability to regain top form consistently seems to be the result of injuries. Same for Smith & now Boro this yr, injury after injury take their toll. Maybe Karlsson rebounds & maybe he doesn't & we are witnessing the beginning of the decline, who knows.

I'd wait until the summer but at that time I would certainly consider moving Karlsson rather than having to pay him & rebuilding with good young players. We seem to have a boat load at the moment & could add a few more with a few moves over the next yr or two.

Great post. Personally I really think we need to move him now. He's really bad at this point and a total train wreck defensively. I think if we hold onto him too long his value could plummet.

Plus, I think if we are accepting that we are not a playoff team, Melnyk would love to get some salary off the books this year and Karlsson isn't cheap and it might help us tank as well.

I'm as big of Karlsson fan as there is but it's time to move on. He won't be coming back when he's a UFA so we have to do what we have to do.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Yeah, maybe you guys are right.
Man, this is going to suck seeing a Hall of Fame level D go out the door. If we get enough prospects and talent back though, the balm will soothe the wound. We're going to lose a lot of Karlsson-specific fans though.

 

[DrEasy]

- I don't want to sell low on Karlsson
- I don't want Dorion to be the one to trade Karlsson

 

[Gil Gunderson]

I think it's incredibly sad there is talk about letting go of our franchise player because of a 13 game stretch. Players have down years due to injury and come back the next year and play great all the time.

Waiting it out until at least early next season to see how he plays is worth the risk IMO. There has to be some sane thought in Melnyk's mind that says all hell will break lose if Karl is gone.

 

[The Lewler]

LeBrun On Karlsson Trade Potential And Senators Ownership
McKenzie Analyzes Karlsson No-Trade List Report
Friedman Delves Into Karlsson No-Trade List Report
EuGenius: the hypocrisy in the response to Karlsson’s comments | The 6th Sens

That 6th Sens opinion piece is a tour de force.

 

[megalomania]

If you move Karlsson now you're essentially starting a complete rebuild. You can't really do that though if you've already thrown away your 2019 1st round pick. Dorion has really managed to move this franchise into a dumb spot with his strange management.

Personally I'm still convinced that Karlsson will be good again - maybe not "last playoffs / best player in the league" good, but certainly much better than right now. In actual fact I believe that next season the Sens can be a fringe playoff team again with a better Karlsson and the current core if you subtract a few useless chumps (scratch Burrows etc) and add Chabot, White, a more established Harpur plus possibly Brown or Chlapik or whoever the Sens pick with their 1st round pick 2018. They won't be a contender or a guaranteed playoff team, but we could see a re-tooled, younger and hungrier team lead by Karlsson and Stone challenging for a wildcard spot as soon as next season. That obviously requires canning Boucher and making a few clever roster moves (which implies replacing Dorion). If we trade Karlsson and a few other important players (like Hoffman or Brassard), however, we essentially commit to a full rebuild without having the necessary requirements (the picks Dorion threw away).

Ultimately building an actual contender requires good management, good coaching and the willingness and ability to pay for good players and good staff. Right now the Sens have none of these three requirements, but even if Dorion and Boucher were replaced by competent people the Sens won't be contending as long as Melnyk is here, rebuild or not. Even if the Sens committed to a full rebuild, brought in capable management, traded the current core (Karlsson, Stone, Hoffman etc), and by some miracle ended up with a core like the Leafs have now (pretty much the best case scenario for a full rebuild) - does anyone actually believe that Melnyk would be willing and capable to pay all the players you drafted plus those you bring in to compliment them/fill holes plus surround them with expensive staff, good coaching, the full works? Again, look at the Leafs: They didn't just draft a few superstars, they also pay an extensive management team with experience and different voices, they scout pro players in Europe to bring in guys like Zaitsev or Borgman to fill some holes so they only have to sign two instead of four over-the-hill UFAS, they actually identify veterans that fit the core reasonably well and are not completely useless - does anyone see Melnyk paying for all these things? Do we have any indication that Melnyk is willing or able to take the financial impact of not making the playoffs for a few years while you rebuild anyway? Because it sure doesn't sound like it. Realistically if your owner isn't up for a full rebuild you can forget about it.

We have one of the best players of this generation on the team - he's not that right now, but he can and will return to being at least a top 5 defenseman in the league. We have some of the makings of a supporting cast, dragged down by coaching, some deadweight, and a stupid management philosophy prefering 'intangibles' and 'experience' to speed and skill. I'd much rather try to re-tool around Karlsson than to rebuild and hope we luck into another dominant player.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

The real key to all this, is the Senators history. The Sens burned up most of their '9 lives' already. Alfredsson taking discounts, players having some of their pay deferred during the 'almost bankrupt' stage of the team, the coaching carousel, Melynk's constant soap operas, etc.

There's only so many times you have the credit with players an fans to ask for a hometown discount. And there's only so many guys on the team where you can ask for a hometown discount. It's one thing to go to Smith and look for a good deal...it's another to go to the most talented player to ever wear the jersey.

 

[Karl Prime]

The real key to all this, is the Senators history. The Sens burned up most of their '9 lives' already. Alfredsson taking discounts, players having some of their pay deferred during the 'almost bankrupt' stage of the team, the coaching carousel, Melynk's constant soap operas, etc.

There's only so many times you have the credit with players an fans to ask for a hometown discount. And there's only so many guys on the team where you can ask for a hometown discount. It's one thing to go to Smith and look for a good deal...it's another to go to the most talented player to ever wear the jersey.

Especially when the deal he's been on since he entered his prime is amazing.

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Stamkos looked like crap the season after coming back from his big leg/foot surgery. Bieksa did too. Same for Stralman. Same for pretty much all players suffering from a bad lower body injury/surgery.

This season is over for Karlsson - and as an extension also for Ottawa.

Look towards 2018-2019.

 

[Tuna99]

Stamkos looked like crap the season after coming back from his big leg/foot surgery. Bieksa did too. Same for Stralman. Same for pretty much all players suffering from a bad lower body injury/surgery.

This season is over for Karlsson - and as an extension also for Ottawa.

Look towards 2018-2019.

This. If we bottom out and get a top
3 draft pick, get rid of some of the dead weight, we could be decent next year with a healthy EK

 

[krapsik]

Thougts after game:
Passing is still awfull
Hoffman is useless player.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Stamkos looked like crap the season after coming back from his big leg/foot surgery. Bieksa did too. Same for Stralman. Same for pretty much all players suffering from a bad lower body injury/surgery.

This season is over for Karlsson - and as an extension also for Ottawa.

Look towards 2018-2019.

Yea I agree.

Worst thing that can happen is that the team starts to go on a mini roll and Dorion thinks it would be a good idea to go and make a trade that includes futures to get someone who he thinks can help the push to the playoffs.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Thougts after game:
Passing is still awfull
Hoffman is useless player.

Thoughts after reading;

Wrong thread