When a young defenseman posts 78 points in only his third year in the NHL, you get him under contract for as long as possible.
That’s exactly what the Ottawa Senators did today when they inked defenseman Erik Karlsson to a seven-year, $45.5 million contract extension. If approved, the contract will carry a $6.5 million cap hit for the Senators.
Karlsson was due to become a restricted free agent on July 1.
“We are extremely pleased to announce that Erik Karlsson’s contract has been extended for seven more years,” stated Senators owner Eugene Melnyk in a press release.
Karlsson will participate in the NHL Awards ceremony tomorrow night in Las Vegas where he is one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy. Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators are also finalists.
“Erik is the type of player and person that embodies an Ottawa Senator, and we are confident that on a personal basis, he will quickly become a role model for many of our young Sens fans and a great contributor to our community,” Melnyk stated. “We feel strongly that this long-term commitment will be great for both sides. As one of the cornerstones of our franchise, Erik will be a large part of the future success that Senators fans can look forward to.”
Drafted 15th overall by the Senators in 2008, Karlsson made his NHL debut in 2009 where he played 60 games with the Senators, posting five goals and 21 assists. He improved upon those numbers his sophomore season, tallying 45 points – including 13 goals – in 75 games.
Karlsson led all NHL defenseman in points this past season with 78, including 19 goals, in 81 games. Dustin Byfuglien finished second with 53 points. He finished the season with a plus-16 and ranked ninth in defenseman in ice time per game, averaging just over 25 minutes a game.
This move could really impact the salary negotiations for other pending defensive free agents, specifically Ryan Suter. Largely touted as the best defensive player available this summer, both Suter and general managers around the league could use the Karlsson contract as a benchmark. Previous reports have suggested that Suter could make between $6 and $7 million per season in the open market.
