Brady Tkachuk: the Rangers’ #1 target (according to Larry Brooks)

Things are hopping in New York.

While we’re still waiting to find out which team Jacob Trouba will be traded to(it’s looking like a trade, but waivers are an option) for the rest of his career, we wonder what’s behind it all.

Clearly, the Rangers want to clean house. And it’s not just about shaking up the boys’ cage.

According to Larry Brooks, who works for the New York Post, the Rangers would like to get Trouba’s $8 million out of the way in order to make room on the payroll for a big player.

And according to Brooks, Brady Tkachuk is the Rangers’ #1 target right now.

Column. There is more to come. Blueshirts targeting Brady Tkachuk in trade talks in what would be a whopper. https://t.co/jrCcJoaeEo

– Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) December 6, 2024

Remember that the Panthers were lucky to get Matthew Tkachuk, and the Rangers would obviously like to recreate the recipe with his brother. It’s understandable.

Do the Senators, who saw Tkachuk ask to be named captain in order to sign for the long term, also want to clean up their act? We don’t know.

Tkachuk earns just over $8.2 million a year until 2028.

Note that Brooks, in his text, talked about Alexis Lafrenière going the other way. Clearly, the Sens need to talk about the Québécois in such a process, we agree.

On the other hand, several journalists were keen to deny the whole thing. Whether it was Bruce Garrioch or Darren Dreger, both men insisted that there was no story there between the Sens and the Rangers.

Who’s right?

Nothing to Brady Tkachuk to the Rangers or anywhere else for that matter. #Sens

– Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) December 6, 2024

CBJ, Det and Anaheim among the crop of teams circling around Trouba and the NYR. Complicated. Nothing going on between the Rangers and Ottawa Senators. Zilch.

– Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) December 6, 2024

At the moment, the names of the Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Ducks, Sharks, Sabres and Senators have been linked to the Jacob Trouba file. It remains to be seen who is really interested in him.

With Trouba out of the way, Tkachuk can’t really land in the Big Apple.

Extension

If the Rangers really do use the waivers to get out of the Trouba situation, you’d think it would hurt the reputation of hockey operations boss Chris Drury.

After all, with Barclay Goodrow last year, the message it would send is this: if you sign with us, you’d better always be good. Otherwise, we’ll do everything we can to cut you.

If the Rangers keep using waivers as an end around for no trade clauses I don’t see why any player would want to sign a free agent contract with this GM. https://t.co/TKF4FxfDGg

– Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) December 6, 2024