Over the weekend, Senators legend Daniel Alfredsson was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame. A well-deserved honour for a player that had tremendous success on the world stage.
His resume with Team Sweden speaks for itself.
An Olympic Gold Medal in 2006. An Olympic Silver Medal in 2014. And another four medals at the World Championships, including silver in 1995 and 2004 and bronze in 1999 and 2001. Over the course of his career, he suited up for Sweden a total of 14 times, including five trips to the Olympics.
He was a slam-dunk to make it to the IIHF Hall of Fame and when you add in his NHL accomplishments, it’s likely he’ll one day find his way into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
But I digress.
Alfredsson spoke to the media briefly following his induction and for the first time publicly, offered a quick thought on what might happen with Erik Karlsson this summer. And the quote was a little ominous, especially when you consider Alfie’s recent and relevant experience with the organization.
When asked if he had heard anything about Karlsson staying in Ottawa long term, he offered the following.
“To me, he says that he wants to stay. But it’s not all in his hands.”
If anyone knows which way Karlsson is leaning, it’s Alfie. And what he’s saying here certainly aligns with what Karlsson himself has said publicly to this point. In his interviews, Karlsson has emphasized that he loves Ottawa and would be open to staying here long term. But at the same time, he wants to be paid what he is worth.
Alfredsson’s quote might not inspire confidence in fans hoping for good news on the Karlsson front this summer but it’s certainly encouraging to hear that he too believe Karlsson wants to stay.
I mean, at least he didn’t say “Probably not”.
-Alfredsson’s induction in the IIHF Hall of Fame also provided Don Brennan with the perfect opportunity to stir the pot a little bit. Alfredsson spent the last year away from the NHL but the rumour is he’d like to be back in the game in some capacity, with Alfredsson himself mentioning that Ownership appealed to him. Brennan’s column finished with a bold bit of speculation saying that it would be “no surprise to see him (Alfredsson) as a front man of an ownership group when Eugene Melnyk sells the Senators. Oh, I mean if Melnyk sells the Senators.”
