BREAKING: Senators GM gives MAJOR update on Erik Karlsson's future.

General Manager of the Ottawa Senators, Pierre Dorion, has made his team’s plans concerning captain and Norris Trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Dorion is quotes as saying, “We hope to have EK for many, many, many years to come”.

Well, the Senators have him locked as the face of Ottawa’s team until at least 2019. Karlsson is signed through the 2018-19 season with a salary hit of $6.5 million a year.

Considering the 26-year-old Swedish defenseman has already won two Norris Trophies, is nominated for another one this season, it’s hard imagine that he can still improve. But that’s exactly what Karlsson is doing.

Karlsson put up 17 goals and 54 assists for 71 points in 77 games, maintained a +/- of plus-10, blocked 201 shots, and ate up almost 27 minutes of ice-time per game this season. He has 6 assists in 6 playoff games so far, and that’s with him playing on a broken foot!

Karlsson has become even better defensively while maintaining his offensive production, he’s leading the Senators through the Playoffs, he’s everything you want in a player and in a captain.

It’s not a hard call for Dorion to keep Karlsson around, and his value will only rise higher the further the Senators go in the Playoffs this year.

Game 1 of the Senators second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the New York Rangers will be played Thursday, April 27^th in Ottawa.