Erik Karlsson will not travel with the Ottawa Senators for their season-ending three-game road trip so he can be with his wife, Melinda, and their family following the loss of their son, Axel.
Karlsson, 27, is fourth among NHL defensemen with 62 points (nine goals, 53 assists) in 71 games.
The Senators play at the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; SN360, SN1, TVAS, MSG-B, NHL.TV), followed by back-to-back games at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday at the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
Karlsson had three assists in a 6-5 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Canadian Tire Centre on Monday, Ottawa's final home game this season, and picked up the puck after the game ended.
Karlsson can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season and is eligible to sign a new contract July 1. There were rumors surrounding Karlsson's future with the Senators before the NHL Trade Deadline passed Feb. 26, and he remained with Ottawa.
"I was down there and I saw it was in the net, so I just picked it up and decided to keep it," Karlsson said Monday, according to TSN. "I'm a social guy. I read a lot of things and I'm not reading too much into it, but obviously the word is out there [from the media]. It's not something I've thought about going into this game and it's not something I'm going to think about for a while."
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said during a conference call with season ticket holders on March 23 that the Senators will offer Karlsson a contract July 1.
"Erik is a fantastic player," Dorion said, according to the Ottawa Citizen. "The relationship between he, [owner] Eugene [Melnyk] and myself is strong, and I want all of you to know that.
"When we can offer Erik a contract on July 1, we will do so."
The Senators have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have 65 points, the second-fewest in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the Buffalo Sabres (62).
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