The Ottawa Senators entered the postseason believing their steady progress under Travis Green could finally translate into a deeper playoff run. Instead, another early exit resurrected familiar questions about the roster, offensive consistency, and whether the current core can push beyond the first round.
Their captain, Brady Tkachuk, struggled against Carolina, which only added more scrutiny as speculation around him kept circulating across the league.
As the conversation around Ottawa’s future intensified, a former Toronto Maple Leafs executive offered a calmer view of how narrow the playoff margins have become across the NHL.
Brad Treliving Gives His Take on Brady Tkachuk’s Senators Getting Swept
Former Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving addressed Ottawa’s playoff collapse during a recent appearance on Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer, pushing back against the idea that the Senators were completely outmatched by the Carolina Hurricanes despite the 4-0 series result.
Treliving said, “The margins are paper-thin. You look at it now when you have playoff series matchups, going out in the first round. There’s a lot of years you think there’s going to be mismatches.”
He pointed specifically to the Senators-Hurricanes series as an example of how deceptive a sweep can appear from the outside.
“I look at the Carolina-Ottawa series, and it was a 4-0 Carolina win, but it’s not a sweep in terms of the competitive level of the series. You go through that throughout the league. It’s difficult to win.
“It’s a challenging year when you have a lot of players at the Olympics and the amount of hockey being played. The league gets more difficult each year. It’s what makes it so exciting, but for those in it, it’s what gives you grey hair and sleepless nights.”
Ottawa lost multiple close games during the matchup, including a double-overtime defeat in Game 2 and another one-goal loss at home in Game 3.
The Senators struggled badly on the power play throughout the series, especially during key moments that could have shifted momentum. Injuries on the blueline also weakened the roster as Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub battled health issues during the postseason.
Although Linus Ullmark consistently kept games close, Ottawa failed to generate enough offense against Carolina’s structured defensive system.
Much of the outside attention afterward centered on captain Tkachuk, who did not record a point during the series while also taking penalties in every game. Despite the criticism, Ottawa’s front office has continued to publicly support its captain. The 26-year-old remains under contract through the 2027-28 season and carries a full no-movement clause.
Treliving’s remarks ultimately highlight how slim the gap has become across the NHL playoff field. Several playoff series this spring have been decided by small mistakes, injuries, and special teams execution rather than massive talent gaps.
Ottawa’s sweep may have looked lopsided in the standings, but the former Leafs executive believes the actual difference between the two teams was far smaller than the final result suggested.
