from Ian Mendes of TSN,
So the Senators determined that their situation with Karlsson had become untenable; that they reached the point of no return at some point during the bizarre odyssey that was the 2017-18 campaign. Finally, they traded Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks on the first day of training camp.
The reaction was predictable.
Fans vowed to stay away from the Canadian Tire Centre in droves. Sure enough, there has been a dip of about 2,000 fans on average at Sens home games this season.
That should change Saturday afternoon, when Karlsson returns to Ottawa for the first time as a member of the Sharks. If the building is not sold-out it should be close to capacity as many disenchanted fans circled this as their one must-see game of the season.
There were multiple false starts last season and so many trade rumours that never came to fruition that Ottawa fans never got a proper chance to say goodbye to Karlsson.
They never had a chance to properly say thanks for multiple Norris Trophy seasons and an extended playoff run in 2017 on a fractured foot that has reached iconic status in this market. Even the most ardent Alfredsson fan would have to concede that Karlsson is the greatest player to ever put on a Senators jersey.
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