Ottawa Senators: Has Erik Karlsson Played His Final Game In Ottawa?

The Ottawa Senators have just two games remaining in the season and will likely finish in the bottom of the league. With hard times ahead talk has shifted back to the team’s captain. Will Erik Karlsson be back next year and has he played his final game in Ottawa?

Talks about Erik Karlsson’s status in Ottawa ramped back up earlier in the week after the Ottawa Senators final home game of the regular season against the Winnipeg Jets. The Sens would be finishing the season with a three game road trip. With this in mind and the remaining games of the season basically meaningless, Karlsson decided it would be better for him to stay home with his wife for the remainder of the season. With everything that has been happening in his personal life lately that is certainly understandable especially given the current position of the Sens in the standing. However, this also meant that Karlsson played his final game in Ottawa for the season.

A Story Begins

Karlsson playing his final game of the season alone was bound to start talk about his potential exit this summer. However, talks really ramped up when Karlsson was spotted taking the game puck before leaving the ice after the game against the Jets. When asked about why he did this and if it was because he didn’t think he would be back next summer he simply said that he grabbed the puck because it was there and for no particular reason. This is obviously a lie, but it’s not as dire as many Sens fans seem to believe.

Don’t Panic Yet

Karlsson still has one year left on his contract and will be back next season if he is not traded. Everything Karlsson has ever said should lead fans to believe that he wants to finish his career in Ottawa. Him taking the puck doesn’t mean that he thinks he’s leaving, it means he doesn’t know what’s going to happen. He likely took the puck because it was his last game of the season and he knows that there is a non zero percent chance that he is traded this summer. He wanted to have the puck to be safe, just in case he is traded.

Next: Ottawa Senators: The Final Week Of The Season

A Long Way To Go

Whether Karlsson is traded away from the Ottawa Senators or not has nothing to do with him grabbing the puck. There is a chance he is traded this summer, and there is also a chance he signs an extension. At this point there is so much up in the air with the Sens it’s best for fans not to worry until there’s something to worry about. When July comes there will be more to discuss about Karlsson, but until then his status will remain up in the air.