“Complete B.S”, said Ottawa Senators’ General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Steve Staios, when asked about trade rumors involving star forward Brady Tkachuk. Tkachuk’s name suddenly surfaced on social media as a trade target over the weekend, and the chatter gained steam, for some unknown reason.
Pierre LeBrun noted in a recent article for The Athletic, “Just to be clear, the Ottawa Senators have zero intention of trading their star captain.” He spoke with Staios who called the rumors totally false and noted, “We are building this team around Brady. His leadership and unique skill set are rare.” He added, “There is absolutely no validity to it.’’
This isn’t the first time trade rumors involving Tkachuk have surfaced. Both times, Staios said the same thing… that fans shouldn’t believe everything they hear and that the Senators are not looking to move the forward and Tkachuk has not asked to be dealt. In February, when the rumors first surfaced, Staios noted. “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.”
Why Do These Rumors Keep Popping Up?
The Ottawa Senators have not seen the level of success this team would have hoped for by now. With a good young core, and some key additions in successive offseasons, the expectation was that they would be a playoff team. They aren’t. Now, with rumors of additional changes, a new coach, a new management structure, and new ownership, it’s not entirely clear what direction the team is headed in.
Tkachuk is a firey guy. He wants to win. That isn’t happening in Ottawa and some wonder how long it will be before frustration boils over. He’s got four more seasons on his current deal at a cost of $8.2 million per season. If the Senators wanted to trade him, they probably could. And, considering he doesn’t hold trade protection in his deal until the 2025/26 season, a deal sooner than later seems more realistic if both sides want to move on.
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