Elliotte Friedman's comments opens up question about Erik Karlsson returning to Sens

The Ottawa Senators might be viewed as a team that is over performing with having an 8-7-1 record. One team that has been a major disappointment this season is one of the Senators' biggest rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins have gotten off to a brutal 6-9-3 start. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently wrote an article titled "32 Thoughts: Where do the Penguins go from here." In the article, Friedman stated "the Penguins have let teams know that they are open for business."

The Penguins recently traded veteran Lars Eller back to the Washington Capitals. With Eller being traded, the thought of more trades incoming is an immediate thought. One player the Penguins have on their roster is a veteran who is very familiar with the Senators, and some Senator fan would love to see a reunion with that veteran who was once a beloved captain.

Thoughts of Erik Karlsson returning to Ottawa may have begun with Friedman's comments on Pittsburgh

Erik Karlsson was traded by the Senators to the San Jose Sharks one month before the 2018-19 season. Since the trade, the Senators haven't made the playoffs. Even though Karlsson has played for two different teams since 2018, he will always be viewed as a Senator and will have his number 65 retired by the Senators organization for his accomplishments.

With Friedman confirming the Penguins are open for business, the thought of Karlsson being traded can begin. Some Senator fans would love to see Karlsson return to Ottawa with hearing Friedman's comments, but it could come with a huge risk.

According to Spotrac, Karlsson has a cap hit of $11.5 million per year until 2027. For a player that is 34 years old, that is a huge hit on the cap. However, the Penguins might be desperate and try to trade Karlsson's contract. The Penguins acquired Karlsson before last season and the team failed to make the 2024 playoffs.

Would a trade for Karlsson be worth it for the Senators? It could, but for a 34-year-old player making $11.5 million, that could be a problem. The Senators currently have four players on the roster making at least $8 million, it will be five once Linus Ullmark's extension begins next season.

Karlsson has 10 points this season with eight being assists. However, trading for Karlsson could help the Senators be a better team. Karlsson's offensive skills as a defenseman would be big on the powerplay and help grow 22-year-old Jake Sanderson.

Ottawa's defense has been concerning at times this season. Travis Hamonic has deeply struggled this season. Although Jacob Bernard-Docker has shown progress, he has been scratched every game since Artem Zub returned. Bernard-Docker is still young along with Tyler Kleven. Both of them need more NHL experience. With Karlsson being viewed as an offensive defenseman, a trade for a defensive defenseman could be more ideal later on this season for Ottawa.

The Senators do have other trade bait pieces on their roster like Nick Cousins, David Perron and Michael Amadio. The Penguins' asking price for Karlsson might be very high. If the price is high, staying away from Karlsson might be better off for the Senators based on where they are at right now and trusting their rebuild.

Pittsburgh's struggles may not have seen coming by many this season with their record, but where they are at in the standings right now, Karlsson's name for a trade is being raised drastically.