The Ottawa Senators are in the midst of negotiating a contract extension with defenseman Marc Methot, who serves as captain Erik Karlsson's most regular defense partner when healthy, but may decide to trade him if an agreement can't be reached in short order.
"I think they can get this done at (five years, $5 million per season)," TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported during an Insider Trading segment on Tuesday. "The question is, are the Senators comfortable with that type of contract. They're last offer a couple of weeks ago was $4.7 million per year, and that didn't cut it with the Marc Methot camp ..."
Methot, 29, is an Ottawa native, and is coming off of a career year offensively in which he pitched in six goals and 23 total points while logging major minutes for the Senators. The burly, stay-at-home defender is a throwback type of blueliner but, despite his reputation for steady play in his own end, Karlsson has actually outscored opponents by a better margin without Methot than he has alongside him over the past four years.
Ultimately, and perhaps wisely, the Senators may prove reluctant to meet Methot's Brooks Orpik-like asking price, according to LeBrun.
"Both sides are expected to resume contract negotiations again this week," LeBrun reported Tuesday. "And there is a time element to all of this, because I don't believe that Senators management want this to drag on all year long, there's been enough drama the last couple of years with guys leaving, if he doesn't sign this month I think there's a real chance he could be traded."
