The Ottawa Senators dealt Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers today, sending their captain to join his brother Matthew in what became the worst-kept secret in the league.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reported it plainly this afternoon: "It was clear to the #Sens that Brady Tkachuk didn't want to be here. Felt that this was going to happen sooner rather than later. He had no intention of signing here."
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That's not just a departure. That's a franchise cornerstone walking out the door.
The 26-year-old finished this season with 59 points in 60 games, 5 power play goals, 15 power play assists, and 3 game-winning goals with a $8.2 million cap hit.
His last five games told a different story. No goals, no assists, a -4 rating. Whether that reflected disengagement or just a cold stretch, the locker room apparently wasn't fighting to keep him around.
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports added important context Sunday evening, reporting that pressure was high on the Senators to get this done and that the dressing room was not pushing for Brady to stay.
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Lavoie also noted it's still a gamble to trade him within the division. He's right. Ottawa faces Florida in the Atlantic, and they just handed the Panthers a top-six left wing who knows exactly how this organization operates.
Wild made a huge offer but Brady wanted Florida
Minnesota had a real shot. Michael Russo of The Athletic confirmed the Wild were on Tkachuk's submitted list and made a significant offer.
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Pierre LeBrun added that Carolina and Vegas were also in the mix. Four teams on the list. Brady picked Florida.
It's not complicated. His brother Matthew is there. Family pulled rank over every other factor, including a franchise in Ottawa that built itself around him.
Matthew Tkachuk put up 34 points in 31 games this season at a $9.5 million cap hit. Florida finished 40-38-4. The Panthers needed something. Now they have two Tkachuks on the roster and a front office that has to make the salary math work.
GM Steve Staios now has to answer a hard question: what did Ottawa actually get back for a 26-year-old captain with a power play role and a $8.2 million contract?
The Senators went 44-27-11 this season, finishing 9th overall. The locker room was reportedly ready to move on. Travis Green's team now rebuilds around a core that no longer includes the face of the franchise.
Losing a captain to the same division never feels like winning a trade, no matter what comes back.
Did the Ottawa Senators get enough value in return for Brady Tkachuk?
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