Departure from Ottawa: Alex DeBrincat was not happy behind Brady Tkachuk

The National Hockey League has seen a number of major moves this summer, with several players leaving for new teams.

The first name that springs to mind is that of Erik Karlsson, but quickly afterwards, one thinks of Alex DeBrincat, who left the Ottawa Senators after playing just one season with them.

It was a very frustrating transaction for Sens general manager Pierre Dorion to complete after DeBrincat asked to be traded.

By acquiring the talented American winger around the time of the Montreal draft in 2022, Pierre Dorion sincerely believed that DeBrincat would stay in Ottawa for a long time.

In the end, he moved on to the Detroit Red Wings after just one season in the Canadian capital.

In return, the Senators acquired Dominik Kubalik, young defenseman Donovan Sebrango, a conditional first-round pick in 2024 and a fourth-round pick in 2024.

But what was it that so displeased DeBrincat?

Of course, it didn’t help that he was American in a Canadian market.

However, one of the primary reasons DeBrincat requested a trade was that he wasn’t happy as a second-three winger behind team captain Brady Tkachuk.

Here’s why DeBrincat wasn’t happy in Ottawa 👇🏒 https://t.co/X3ycLqKfSA

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) September 10, 2023

Indeed, so reported Bruce Garrioch in an Ottawa Sun article.

According to Garrioch’s sources, DeBrincat wanted a bigger role with the Senators, something he didn’t feel he had by being placed on the second line behind Tkachuk.

Still, DeBrincat had a more than respectable season, with 66 points (27 goals and 39 assists) in 82 games.

It wasn’t a 40-goal season, however, something he managed to do twice with the Chicago Blackhawks, in 2018-2019 and 2021-2022.

Perhaps DeBrincat associates this drop in goal production with the fact that he was only on the second line.

In short, if the 25-year-old American winger was really jealous of Brady Tkachuk, the team captain, it’s really better that he’s gone.

In any case, no one is mourning his departure from Ottawa, as Tim Stützle explained earlier this week.

On a roll

– The playoff race is very tight.

I see 7 points by the end of the season for @cfmontreal which would put them in 9th place, Gavino sees 5 points, so outside the playoffs.👇👇👇And you? #cfmtl https://t.co/M1n8eDTMzD

– Jeremy Filosa 🎙 (@JeremyFilosa) September 10, 2023

– Incredible!

Sergio Busquets is a little mischievous 😅pic.twitter.com/6e0fcgeQFb

– Nilton Jorge (@NiltonJorge) September 10, 2023

– Listen now.

– A dossier to follow.

– Good for the Astros.