Report: Karlsson hopeful for competitive offers from Sens, Habs

Pending unrestricted free agent Erik Karlsson hopes to receive competitive offers from the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens this summer, a source told the Ottawa Sun's Don Brennan.

One of the reasons Karlsson is reportedly eyeing either the Senators or the Canadiens is because his wife, Melinda, a native of Ottawa, would like to live closer to her family again, according to Brennan.

Karlsson is officially a UFA as of July 1 and just finished his first season with the San Jose Sharks after being traded from Canada's capital to the Bay Area in September.

The 29-year-old had a long, dramatic departure from the Senators after spending the first nine seasons of his career with the organization. Karlsson was on the trade block for most of the 2017-18 campaign and was reportedly offered an extension worth $10 million per season to remain in Ottawa before he was traded.

Karlsson battled injuries during his stint with the Sharks but still managed to produce 45 points in 53 games before adding 16 more during the postseason on the club's run to the Western Conference Final.

The Senators finished dead last in the NHL in 2018-19 but have over $35 million in projected cap space to potentially bring back their former captain. The Canadiens, on the other hand, fell just short of qualifying for a wild-card berth this year and head into the summer with just over $11 million available to spend.