Breaking: Sens owner confirms they have asked for Karlsson's no-trade list.

A rare public message from Eugene Melnyk.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Breaking: Sens owner confirms they have asked for Karlsson's no-trade list.
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With a crazy week of rumors surrounding his team Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk felt it was very important to set the record straight on a few things, and one Wednesday night he sent out an email to staff at Postmedia, including Senators insider Bruce Garrioch.

According to Garrioch, Melnyk confirmed that he has no intention of selling the Ottawa Senators at this time despite the fact that a well-connected hockey and business reporter, former sun columnist Liam McGuire, reported he believed the team had been sold on Wednesday. 

Melnyk also touched on the rumors surrounding superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson, and surprisingly Melnyk admitted that the team had in fact asked Karlsson for his no-trade list. Melnyk says however that the request was made because the team is currently refinancing it's debt and for some reason Karlsson's list was needed for that reason.

“This is where the (Karlsson) contract request emanated from,” Melnyk added as per Garrioch. “ALL material contracts are reviewed in a process called due diligence — from snow removal to food and beverage to players.”

Now I've never owned a National Hockey League team or had the need to refinance debt for one either, but something about that statement smells a little fishy. It becomes even more bizarre when you consider that just this week Senators players confirmed to the media that they were NOT asked for their lists. 

Ottawa Senators beat writer Mark Brassard of Le Droit says that NHL Derick Brassard informed him that he had not been asked to submit his 10 team no-trade list. 

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Melnyk quite clearly states here that all contracts had to be reviewed, and furthermore that the no-trade list was a part of that review, so why wasn't Brassard asked for his if that's the truth? 

Who do you believe?


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