Trade rumors surrounding Brady Tkachuk are only continuing to grow after another disappointing playoff exit for the Ottawa Senators. Tkachuk may have made his frustrations clear over the speculation, but being a Team USA gold medalist on a faltering team will have your name in the headlines every now and then.
Former NHL executive Doug MacLean has already made it clear he doesn’t expect to see the franchise’s captain stick around in Ottawa for too long, and this week, he only doubled down on his belief that a blockbuster Tkachuk trade could happen sooner rather than later.
Brady Tkachuk Trade Buzz Continues
Speculation around Tkachuk intensified after he failed to record a point and finished with a minus-4 rating in the Round 1 series against the Carolina Hurricanes. For a player viewed as the face of the franchise, those numbers only added fuel to the growing trade rumors.
Former NHL GM Doug MacLean recently linked the Florida Panthers as a potential landing spot for Tkachuk, largely because his brother, Matthew Tkachuk, already plays there.
“Where do you think Brady Kachuk wants to play? Deep down… I’m saying Florida. And when again will Florida have a top 10 pick to trade for Brady Tkachuk?” MacLean pointed out.
MacLean believes Florida’s top-10 pick in this year’s draft could be a major asset in any potential trade package, especially for an Ottawa team that would likely prioritize high-end future pieces in a deal for Brady Tkachuk. He also pointed out that Florida has enough roster depth, including NHL-ready forwards and defensemen, to build a serious trade package.
“I’m just saying, to me, it makes too much sense. Florida has a couple of forwards they could move in the deal when they’re 100% healthy. They got a couple of good forwards that are really solid NHL players. They’ve got an extra defenseman they can move, and they’ve got the 9th overall pick. It makes too much sense for me for it not to happen,” MacLean said.
Tkachuk still has two years remaining on his current contract, carrying an $8.21 million cap hit, and becomes eligible for an extension on July 1, 2027.
But in MacLean’s view, even if Brady Tkachuk isn’t traded this offseason, there’s still a strong chance he could eventually be moved before reaching free agency or potentially leave once his contract expires.
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The Senators’ captain made it clear that contract talks are not currently his focus, but he has repeatedly pushed back against the trade speculation.
During his exit interview, he said, “Quite honestly, it’s just getting frustrating. It’s becoming a distraction. I have been fully committed to this team, to this city, and (the talk), it’s just become a distraction. Frustrating to deal with.”
Still, the Senators are entering a massive offseason with questions continuing to surround the future of their core group and whether major changes could be on the way.
For now, it remains unclear whether Ottawa will seriously consider moving the ‘Tkaptain,’ but make ’em an offer they can’t refuse, and we’ll see what’s what.
