The fallout from Brady Tkachuk’s departure from the Ottawa Senators is still being felt throughout the organization.
After requesting a trade, the former Ottawa captain was dealt to the Florida Panthers, where he reunited with his brother, Matthew Tkachuk. The move marked the end of an era for the Senators and forced the organization to quickly turn its attention toward the future.
Now, Senators head coach Travis Green has revealed when he first learned that Tkachuk’s time in Ottawa might have been coming to an end.
Travis Green Shares His Side of the Brady Tkachuk Trade
Speaking about the situation, Green explained that general manager Steve Staios informed him of the possibility of a trade a few weeks after the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
“I would say it was probably about a month after the season, three weeks, that he kind of brought me up to speed,” Green said.
Although rumors had circulated for months, Green admitted that hearing the news directly still came as a surprise. “A little bit, of course. A big part of your team, captain of your team. When I came to Ottawa, I was really excited about coming to coach the team for a lot of different reasons. There was a lot of good young players, he was one of them.”
Green went on to explain that Tkachuk played a major role in the organization’s growth and was one of the reasons he believed the team was headed in the right direction.
“So to hear that he asked to be traded or he was going to be moved at some point. Unfortunate is a word I probably will use a lot. And I can’t speak for Brady, but I was a little surprised, a little, would I say mad a little bit,” Green said.
For Green, Tkachuk was much more than just the team’s captain. He was one of the emotional leaders of the franchise and a player whose intensity helped define the Senators’ identity on the ice.
Ottawa Turns Its Attention to the Future
While losing Tkachuk was a painful blow, the organization has wasted little time reshaping the roster.
The Senators used assets acquired in the trade to strengthen their core, adding players such as William Eklund, Andre Burakovsky, and Samuel Ersson while retaining several key contributors.
Staios also hinted that more moves could still be on the horizon. “We feel good about the work that we’ve done. There will be a secondary push that we will stay close to,” Staios said.
Green’s comments offered a rare glimpse into how difficult the process was behind the scenes. Although the departure of a franchise player is never easy, the Senators are now fully focused on the next chapter.
