Erik Karlsson, who is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer, will probably point to Victor Hedman's recently signed five-year/$20 million contract extension when the Senators approach him. The two are very different kinds of blueliners, but they're both extremely valuable to their respective clubs and at roughly the same stage in their NHL careers. Karlsson is a pure offensive defenseman that only seems to be getting better. He set career-highs with 13 goals and 45 points in 75 games last season and he already has 22 points in 25 games this season. His plus/minus rating is an unappealing minus-three, but that's still leagues better than last season, when he was third worst in the NHL with a minus-30 rating.