The wounds from the Ottawa Senators’ exit from the 2026 NHL playoffs are still fresh, but that hasn’t stopped the trade rumors around Brady Tkachuk from mushrooming this week.
The Senators showed some fight and a half by clawing their way into the playoffs, but going up against the top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes was always going to be a Sisyphean task. With time of death officially called on their short-lived run in the playoffs, attention now turns to what Ottawa does to fortify this core for next season.
Brady Tkachuk Linked With Blockbuster Trade to Dallas Stars
When Brady Tkachuk missed the Senators’ exit interviews (for a good reason), there was already some angst among fans in Ottawa. However, the Team USA gold medal winner made it a point to address fans of the franchise and answer questions from reporters a couple days later.
“We have taken steps. It’s tough right now with how it went,” Tkachuk said. “We have so many great players on our team. I’ve been fully committed to this team, this city. I’ve always believed in this team, playing for this city, and this city has been good to me.”
Tkachuk called the trade rumors “frustrating,” adding that he’s struggling to wrap his head around why it’s a “consistent thing.”
“It’s frustrating to have to answer something that has never been spoken out of my mouth.”
Those strong words hit pause on the trade rumors, but that’s it. It took barely any time for speculation to take hold, with the Senators captain now linked with the Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. However, one insider believes the Dallas Stars should also be in the conversation.
On The Sheet, Jeff Marek said he received a text from “someone” after the Stars’ exit, saying, “Dallas needs to decide whether it wants to be the Florida Panthers with Jonathan Huberdeau, or the Florida Panthers with Matthew Tkachuk.” In this hypothetical, Jason Robertson would be the Huberdeau in question, while Brady Tkachuk would be his brother, Matthew.
Huberdeau, of course, was traded to the Calgary Flames to bring Matthew Tkachuk to town, in what has since been labelled as a sliding doors moment for the Panthers.
Insider David Pagnotta was also on the podcast, and noted, “That’d get him, in theory. That and maybe a little sweetener gets him,” pointing to the fact that a Robertson for Tkachuk trade could make sense for both parties.
DON’T MISS: Senators Star Brady Tkachuk Reveals Why He Took Drastic Step of Stepping Away From Social Media
Earlier this month, on Leafs Morning Take, Pagnotta also said that he believes “there’s already an understanding that they’re gonna at least explore the conversation this summer with other teams.”
Any trade involving Tkachuk, however, would require the Senators captain’s complete approval. Tkachuk’s contract has two years left at an $8.2 million annual cap hit and a no-movement clause. He’s only eligible to sign an extension in 2027, which means Ottawa will have to deal with a year’s worth of trade speculation.
