The Ottawa Senators finally broke through last spring, snapping an eight-year playoff drought that had hovered over the franchise since 2017. The return to the postseason was short-lived, but captain Brady Tkachuk didn’t hide the mixed emotions that came with it. It was part relief and part frustration about how long the wait had been.
Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk Opens Up on Ending Ottawa’s Drought
Tkachuk has carried the captain’s “C” since 2021, and he admitted the struggles wore him down.
“There were kind of frustrating moments the previous couple of years because we weren’t getting the results we thought we should,” he told NHL.com, pointing to the doubt that occasionally crept in during those lean stretches.
The Senators’ turnaround wasn’t accidental. A change in defensive structure under coach Travis Green helped trim 47 goals off their totals from the previous year. Just as important, the team’s stars like Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, and Jake Sanderson pushed their way into the spotlight with their first postseason run together.
The Senators ended the season at 45-30-7, sliding into the Eastern Conference’s first wild card slot. They bowed out in six games against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but Tkachuk insisted the experience only sharpened their hunger.
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“No, we didn’t get as far as we wanted and that was disappointing,” he said. “But to be part of it, to learn from it, you can’t get experience like that unless you’ve been through it.”
Under new ownership and management, the Senators have intended to reshape their identity. Tkachuk has been central to that, anchoring a roster that’s slowly been given more depth through veterans like Lars Eller and young additions like defenseman Jordan Spence.
Off the ice, momentum is building too. Plans for a new arena at LeBreton Flats are moving ahead, a project that signals long-term stability in the nation’s capital.
For a leader like Tkachuk, who often stresses belief and accountability, the mix of progress on and off the ice points to a franchise trying to take the next step.
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Making the playoffs was a milestone, but Tkachuk said qualifying isn’t the end goal. He wants the Senators to push deeper and become a consistent threat year after year.
Now 25, Tkachuk has already earned a reputation as one of the league’s most physical power forwards. He piled up 29 goals and 55 points last season, all while ranking among the NHL’s leaders in high-danger chances and hits. Few players combine grit and scoring touch quite the same way.
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The Senators’ younger core is following suit. Stützle’s speed and Sanderson’s versatility give the lineup balance, while offseason moves have added stability around them. Together, it’s a group that looks built for the long term.
For now, the focus remains simple. Tkachuk wants to keep the Senators moving forward. “We believe we have the potential to accomplish whatever we set out to; now we have to go out and do it,” he said.
