There has been some recent chatter about the Ottawa Senators possibly trading captain Brady Tkachuk this offseason, but president Steve Staios firmly shut those down.
“Complete B.S.,” Steve Staios said, via Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. “We are building this team around Brady. His leadership and unique skill set are rare. … There is absolutely no validity to it.”
While the Senators disappointed this season, Brady Tkachuk still proved his value, putting up 37 goals with 37 assists for 74 points in 81 games played, according to NHL.com. This was after a career high 83 points in the 2022-2023 season. The Senators are still a young team trying to emerge as a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference, and it seems like the plan is to try to do that with Tkachuk on the roster. There were some rumors back before the trade deadline of him getting moved, but that did not happen either, and Staios shut those rumors down back then as well.
“Ah yeah, that could not be further from the truth,” Staios said with a chuckle on Feb. 28, according to LeBrun. “I don't follow on social media. I do get out communications people alert me to things like that. There's obviously no truth to that. Like, we're building the team around Brady Tkachuk, and the type of person, the type of player and the type of leader that he is. He means everything to the organization. And he brings it every night along with our core group of players. It's a matter of time and a matter of nurturing this group.”
Brady Tkachuk's future with the Senators
The Senators have Tkachuk under contract for four more seasons. He is in the middle of a seven-year, $57.5 million contract that pays him just over $8.2 million per season, according to CapFriendly. The speculation surrounding him potentially being traded likely relates to his no-movement clause that kicks in after next season. If the Senators have any trepidation about him being a long-term piece, it would be much easier to move him by next trade deadline.
Obviously, Staios views Tkachuk as not only a core piece, but a centerpiece of the roster for the Senators as they try to build a winner. Given the contract that Tkachuk has, it is betting a lot on him, but he has lived up to expectations over the last two seasons. It is on the supporting players around Tkachuk to pick up the slack, and for Staios to fill in the other holes on the roster to help Ottawa get to the playoffs.
It will be interesting to track the moves the Senators make this offseason to give Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle some help. This summer looms large for the future of the Senators.
Follow Us
Subscribe
