It’s been particularly noisy this year in Canada’s capital. After the Ottawa Senators made a late push for a wildcard spot in the playoffs, Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, and the rest of the crew failed to hold their own, getting swept 4-0 in the first round by the top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes.
For any team that falls short in consecutive years, questions are bound to be raised on the roster, its stars, and of the coaching staff. The same holds true for Ottawa, but this time around, Tkachuk finds himself at the center of speculation.
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Tkachuk’s modus operandi in the series was called out by a number of analysts and former players, especially after he dropped the gloves with Jordan Staal a mere three seconds into Game 1. That kerfuffle only served to hype up the Hurricanes faithful, and Carolina didn’t look back from that moment onwards, sweeping Tkachuk’s Senators in four games straight.
After Tkachuk finished the series without registering a single point (and being a minus-4 throughout), speculation was rife that that were would be rift between the captain and the franchise.
That speculation has also engulfed the Boston Bruins, it would appear.
In his column for The Athletic, seasoned Bruins reporter Fluto Shinzawa urged Boston to give Ottawa a call to see what it would take to prise Brady Tkachuk away from the franchise.
“There would be a line at the U.S.-Canada border of parties interested in acquiring the power forward. Whether the Bruins would have enough assets to catch Ottawa’s eye is unknown. But the 26-year-old can impact games with his physicality, high-danger presence and spirit like few others can,” Shinzawa wrote.
In his exit interview, Tkachuk addressed all the speculation swirling around his future.
“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 also called out the ‘frustrating’ trade rumors, adding that he’s struggling to understand why it’s a “consistent thing.”
“It’s frustrating to have to answer something that has never been spoken out of my mouth.”
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As things stand, there have been no indications from either Tkachuk or the Senators that the two parties are looking to part ways. But that hasn’t stopped teams from keeping their ears to the ground.
Alongside the Bruins, the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and St. Louis Blues have been credited with an interest in pulling off a blockbuster trade for Brady Tkachuk. One insider also linked the Dallas Stars with a Jason Robertson-for-Tkachuk swap.
However, it’s pertinent to note that Tkachuk has a no-move clause, which would complicate unwanted advances.
