The Blue Jackets are among the teams that contacted Ottawa regarding defenseman Erik Karlsson, The Athletic has confirmed. But, sources said, a deal is unlikely to be reached between the two clubs unless Senators general manager Pierre Dorion significantly lowers his asking price.



It’s believed the Dallas Stars have emerged as the favorite to land Karlsson, one of the NHL’s most dynamic players and a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman.



Ottawa has had Karlsson on and off the trade block for many months now. But a deal is considered this summer, especially after Karlsson turned down a reported extension offer of eight years, $80 million earlier this week.



The Blue Jackets’ interest in Karlsson, first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, is a bit surprising, because the Jackets already have two highly regarded young defensemen playing on their top pair: Seth Jones and Zach Werenski.



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