Left unsaid by Melnyk and cohorts in all of the #OttawaRising cheerleading was the obvious conclusion that all-world defenceman Erik Karlsson was not long for the Senators. That Karlsson seemed genuinely saddened to be shipped off like this will not make the trade any easier for Ottawa fans. When Karlsson himself called the Senators a “budget team” a couple of years ago, he knew what he was talking about. If the many words Melnyk has said this week are to be taken seriously, then the Karlsson trade is the first of many such deals: veterans out, picks and prospects back in. Advertising this strategy ahead of time, as Melnyk has done, will only make the work harder for his general manager.

Source: National Post September 13, 2018 19:18 UTC