Erik Karlsson is given an ultimatum!

There might too much happening at the moment for star defenseman Erik Karlsson, but it hasn’t stopped the San Jose Sharks from adding more to his plate.

In the past few days, it has been revealed by Don Brennan the Ottawa Citizen that Karlsson would like to get re-signed by the Senators once he hits the free agency market on July 1st, and would even consider a competitive offer from the Montreal Canadiens in order to please his wife Melinda and move back to Ottawa. 

On top of that, it was announced last night that the former Norris trophy winner has undergone groin surgery, and was even spotted at Game 3 of the NBA final on crutches. While he is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2019-20 season, some wonder if his value on the free-agent market will be affected by the injury and procedure. 

The Sharks did not stop there and reportedly added more to the mix: according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Sharks have given Karlsson an ultimatum to get him to re-sign in San Jose. 

Friedman revealed that a contract offer has been placed on the table for Karlsson’s camp and demanded an answer before the weekend from the blue liner. 

We would therefore know weeks prior to July 1st if Karlsson will truly become available on the market. 

The veteran player had raised eyebrows at the end of the Sharks’ playoff run when he published what appeared to be a goodbye message to San Jose on his personal Twitter account. 

Karlsson battled injuries in his first season with the Sharks and only took part in 53 regular season games, but still managed to post 45 points and he added another 16 points in 19 playoff games.

He will need to sit down with the Sharks’ contract offer in hand and talk to Melinda to see if it’s worth staying in California for his career. 

Many believe Karlsson should strongly consider the New York Rangers as a destination once the free market opens as a short flight to Ottawa remain a good option for Melinda. 

Let’s see how he reacts to this ultimatum and which one will weigh more in the balance: the Sharks’ or the one Melinda might give him if he wants to sign too far from Ottawa…