Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told season-ticket holders on a conference call Friday that the team plans to offer captain Erik Karlsson a contract extension on July 1.

Karlsson is set to enter the final season on a seven-year, $45.5 million contract he signed ahead of the 2012-13 season and is eligible to begin negotiating an extension on Canada Day.

“Erik is a fantastic player,” Dorion said, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. “The relationship between he, (owner) Eugene (Melnyk) and myself is strong, and I want all of you to know that.

“I think there is one thing I need to clarify given the difficulty of this season week but I’m told there are a number of questions submitted about Erik and I feel it might be best to address it off the top.

“When we can offer Erik a contract on July 1st, we will do so. I hope this clarifies things. We don’t want to get into specifics on too many players but we think it’s important that we need to mention that.”

The 27-year-old defenceman ranks second in scoring on the Senators this season with eight goals and 56 points in 66 games. He led the team in scoring each of the past four seasons 

It’s been a tumultuous season for Karlsson, who missed time at the beginning of the year after ankle surgery. He was the subject of rumours leading up to the trade deadline, with winger Bobby Ryan saying afterwards that he and Karlsson thought they had been traded at one point. Karlsson is currently away from the team mourning the loss of his son.

The 15th overall pick in the 2008 Draft, Karlsson is in his ninth season with the Senators.

A two-time Norris Trophy winner, Karlsson is expected to command a record payday for a defenceman. Nashville Predators defenceman P.K. Subban currently owns the highest cap hit of any defenceman at $9 million, which Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty he and Karlsson were looking to top.

Karlsson has 125 goals and 512 points in 622 career games with the Ottawa Senators.  

Dorion also said the team would also be trying to work with forward Matt Duchene on an extension this summer. Duchene was acquired in November as part of a three-way trade in which the Senators gave up draft picks in the each of the first two rounds of June's draft and centre Kyle Turris. Duchene has 23 goals and 50 points in 73 games with the Senators and Colorado Avalanche this season.