Report: Golden Knights making 'serious pitch' for Karlsson

One Karlsson in Vegas may not be enough.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Golden Knights are making a serious pitch for Senators blue-liner Erik Karlsson.

With Ottawa mired at the bottom of the standings, the Senators captain is a top target to be moved ahead of Monday's trade deadline. Karlsson, 27, carries a $6.5-million cap hit that extends through the 2018-19 campaign.

As Garrioch alludes, the Golden Knights could be a preferred destination for Karlsson given the club's available cap space, meaning it could accommodate costly forward Bobby Ryan to facilitate a deal for Karlsson.

Related - Report: Sens could discount Karlsson if team is willing to take Bobby Ryan

Ryan is signed through the next four seasons at a $7.25-million cap hit. As for the Golden Knights, the team has about $33 million available this summer, so adding both Karlsson and Ryan shouldn't be too tricky for general manager George McPhee.

In the preseason, few expected the expansion Golden Knights to be buyers this spring, but as the deadline nears, Vegas sits one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place.

Meanwhile, Karlsson, who is having a "down" year by his standards, has tallied 42 points through 56 games this season. The two-time Norris Trophy winner was a top player in last year's playoffs, registering 18 points in 19 games as he led the Senators to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.

For the Senators, the sell-off has already begun with the team having dealt forward Derick Brassard to the Pittsburgh Penguins and defenseman Dion Phaneuf to the Los Angeles Kings in the lead up to the deadline.

Garrioch also indicates it could take as many as five or six assets to complete a deal and that the Lightning, San Jose Sharks, and Nashville Predators are also believed to be interested in Karlsson.