Erik Karlsson had tears trickling down his cheeks while he shook hands and said goodbye at the conclusion of his farewell press conference in Ottawa on Thursday.

[RELATED: Erik Karlsson timeline | Karlsson trade completes Sharks' quest to add difference-maker]

The Ottawa Senators had other ideas.

The long anticipated divorce between the two-time Norris Trophy winner and the Senators finally became reality when the 28-year-old was traded to the San Jose Sharks. With that, he bid adieu to the only NHL home he's ever known.

"It's very unfortunate that I'm going to have to move on professionally," Karlsson said. "I don't think that I ever in my wildest imagination ever thought that I would leave this place, but unfortunately we're here under these circumstances.

"I was prepared to come here and work hard for this team. I still have a year on my deal and, unfortunately, I couldn't follow through."

Video: Johnson and Parrish analyze the Karlsson trade

Karlsson can become an unrestricted free agent after this season and the Senators feared he might leave without getting anything in return. Ottawa offered Karlsson a contract extension July 1, the first day it could do so, but he would not sign it.

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said Karlsson never asked for a trade. But with the blueprint in place for Ottawa to get younger, the Senators completed two weeks of negotiations with the Sharks by receiving forwards Chris Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers, defenseman Dylan DeMelo, unsigned forward Joshua Norris, a first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft or 2020 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in the 2019 draft, and two conditional draft picks.

Dorion said the decision was made to embark on a complete rebuild during a visit to Barbados with owner Eugene Melnyk in February. The Senators (25-45-12) finished 15th in the Eastern Conference last season, 30 points behind the New Jersey Devils for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"Erik Karlsson was probably going to gather the best return in a possible rebuild," Dorion said. "This was not an easy situation for us, to trade a player of Erik Karlsson's caliber. But for us to be where we need to be for the long term in this rebuild, we had to make this decision at this point in time."

That didn't make it any easier for Karlsson to digest.

"I was not part of that plan, that's why we are standing here today, and from my point of view, that's sad," he said. "I never wanted to leave this place. But at the same time, I respect their decision, that's their decision to make, and I wish them nothing but the best."

Ottawa radio talk shows were flooded with emotional callers within minutes of the trade being announced. Some cried, others yelled. It was as if one of the cultural fabrics of Canada's capital suddenly was shipped away.

"Very sad to see @ErikKarlsson65 leave our City," Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson tweeted. "He was always a tremendous leader on and off the ice. He and @MelindaCurrey will be very much missed. We thank him for 9 great seasons with the @Senators -- All the best moving forward. #EK65"

Video: Friedman breaks down the Karlsson trade

Selected by the Senators in the first round (No. 15) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Karlsson has 518 points (126 goals, 392 assists) in 627 regular-season games and 37 points (six goals, 31 assists) in 48 playoff games. He became the face of the franchise and its most beloved figure when fan favorite Daniel Alfredsson left to sign a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings on July 5, 2013.

Karlsson obtained near-hero status in Ottawa when he overcame two hairline fractures in his left heel to help the Senators reach the 2017 Eastern Conference Final. The Senators were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games, and Karlsson had surgery to repair torn tendons less than a month later.

Karlsson and Ottawa native Melinda Currey were married in August 2017. What followed would be a tumultuous 12 months for the newlyweds.

First, Karlsson tweeted on March 21, 2018 that the couple's son, named Axel, had been stillborn. "The joy he gave us will be with us forever," Karlsson wrote.

Adversity continued to follow the couple when the Ottawa Citizen reported in June that Currey filed an application for a peace bond against teammate Mike Hoffman's fiancee, Monika Caryk, alleging harassment and cyberbullying that occurred last season and continued after Axel's death. Hoffman, who denied the allegations, was traded to the Sharks a week later and then was traded to the Florida Panthers.

After it all, Karlsson said his heart remains embedded in Ottawa.

"I haven't really still wrapped my mind around what is really going on," he said. "I think it's been happening really fast, even though there's been a lot of noise for almost a year now.

"But again, I never, in my wildest imagination, ever thought that I was going to leave this place."

But, he's gone. He's with the San Jose Sharks now. And an entire city and its fan base is hurting today because of it.