Brady Tkachuk: He’s been telling his teammates for four years that he’s going to leave

Jonathan Di Gregorio
Brady Tkachuk: He’s been telling his teammates for four years that he’s going to leave
Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

There has been a lot of movement in the NHL over the past few days, but one of the trades that has generated the most buzz is the one that sent Brady Tkachuk to join his brother in Florida.

In return, Ottawa received two first-round picks in the 2026 draft (the 9th and 25th overall), a second-round pick in 2027, and a conditional first-round pick in 2029.

It's not an ideal return for the Senators, who would no doubt have hoped for an established top-6 forward to replace Tkachuk in their lineup, but the more we learn about his situation, the more we realize that Steve Staios has gotten rid of a major problem in his locker room.

According to Bruce Garrioch, who discussed the Tkachuk trade on “Sens 1-on-1,” the former Sens captain had been telling his teammates in the locker room for the past four years that he had no intention of re-signing with Ottawa when his contract expired.

It's pretty common.

It was no secret that the American wanted to follow in his older brother's footsteps and continue his career south of the border at some point.

However, when you're the captain of a team, you have to lead by example, and acting like a guy who wants to get the hell out isn't setting a good example.

Plus, it kind of confirms the opinion of Sens fans, who feel like they've been taken advantage of by Tkachuk.

And when you ultimately ask to be traded, you should provide your current club with a list of more than four teams to maximize its chances of getting a good return.

Especially when your list includes both Cup finalists, the team led by Bill Guerin—the GM of the U.S. national team—and your brother's team.

In the current situation, the Sens may not have gotten the best possible return for Tkachuk, but the team could reap several benefits from his departure, starting with selecting a better captain for next season.

Plus, I'm eager to see if the change of scenery and Florida will really help resolve the younger Tkachuk brother's attitude issues.


In a Nutshell

– Canada's starting lineup.

– Thomas Rousseau invited to the prospect camp.

– Big money for the Ducks.

– A big guy.

– Coming back soon?

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