Erik Karlsson Traded, Tom Wilson Extended, Team Canada Golden and More

In Ottawa, the weather these days is a mix of beauty and low-grade menace, the summer is quickly passing by as the hockey season is fast approaching yet we cannot wait much longer. For many Ottawa Senators fans, there was an uncomfortable jolt from summertime vibes this long weekend:

• Erik Karlsson has had an incredible career, mixed with some very bad luck – particularly on the injury front. His departure from a particularly nasty situation in  Ottawa to what looked like a promising new beginning in San Jose was short-lived as the Sharks ended up tearing their roster down just one year after his arrival. Still, Karlsson at times flourished individually but that wasn't enough. At 33 years old, he couldn't be patient through another rebuild so he made it clear he wanted out of San Jose. The problem was his hefty contract that made a trade all the more of a challenge.  Kyle Dubas has developed a reputation for flashy moves and he was not going to waste the opportunity of coupling Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson for a chance for both of them to have some glorious years to end their journeys and maybe get Karlsson that coveted Cup that Crosby "stole" from him in 2017. In a 3-way deal that involved the Montreal Canadiens, the San Jose Sharks only retained $1.5M of Karlsson's contract but received not much else besides that salary dumping.
• For now, it seems the Penguins got the best out of this trade but as an aging team with not much depth and questionable goaltending, Dubas has some work to do to really make this trade work in the glorious way he and all Pens fans are envisioning. I for one am happy Karlsson gets the chance to play with elite stars of his caliber but a part of me had some hope he would come home as much as people said it didn't make sense, Erik Karlsson always did and always will belong in Ottawa. That being said, it'll be easy for me to cheer him on to win that Cup -- as long as he's not playing against the Sens of course. How interesting would it be if the Sens and Pens met once again in the ECF only this time, it's the Sens that prevail?
• For a while, Tom Wilson's name was linked to the Ottawa Senators on several occasions.  However, the Washington Capitals sacrificed their own long term financial well-being by saving us all from Tom Wilson in a contract extension that they will almost certainly soon live to regret. The 29-year-old who is on the last year of his current contract was extended for 7 years at an AAV of $6.5M. The dollar figure isn't a huge issue as it's not a huge bump from his current salary of around $5.7M but he is coming off a major knee injury and committing to such a long-term contract a year before they really needed to seems odd. He is a beloved member of the Caps and some fans have even eluded to him becoming Captain after Ovechkin hangs up the skates but I don't see Wilson being worth that money for most of the contract's years.
• After spending the last 10 years with the Minnesota Wild, Matt Dumba has signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Coyotes.
• Canada has not had the best luck against the Czech Republic but thanks to Malcolm Spence, Team Canada captured yet another under-18 Gold Medal as he scored the OT winner in the Gold Medal game. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal win marks Canada's 24th title at the men's summer under-18 hockey tournament.
• Are you ready to get invested in a new sports league? Well then, Paul Holmgren would like you to join in his journey to grow the game of Pickleball. PBX Pickleball is described as “the company that unites retired professional athletes with the Pickleball community.” Several retired NHLers have joined and it will be interesting to see where Holmgren takes his new project.