Karlsson: Sens 'probably would have traded me' even if I'd accepted contract

Erik Karlsson confirmed that he received a contract offer from the Ottawa Senators before being traded to the San Jose Sharks, but feels he would have been dealt even if he'd accepted Ottawa's proposal.

The defenseman expressed that sentiment in an interview with Sportsnet's Christine Simpson Wednesday, telling her that negotiations with the Senators didn't progress to the final stages.

"I don't think it ever got to the point where I had an option to sign anything," Karlsson said. "It never even got close to that, and even if I would have signed, they probably would have traded me anyways, and I would have been somewhere else."

Karlsson also revealed that, for all intents and purposes, his fate was initially sealed last winter.

"They had me traded in February already at the (trade) deadline," he said. "We were told we were pretty much gone, and that was very tough to hear."

The superstar blue-liner said it was Senators general manager Pierre Dorion who informed Karlsson that a trade was imminent as training camp was on the verge of opening.

"(He) called me in the morning and told me not to come into camp (on) the first day, and that's when I probably realized that it was going to go down pretty quickly."

Karlsson was traded to the Sharks on Sept. 13 along with forward Francis Perron for forward Chris Tierney, defenseman Dylan DeMelo, prospects Rudolfs Balcers and Josh Norris, a pair of draft picks, and another conditional pick if Karlsson re-signs with the Sharks.