Brady Tkachuk reportedly told his Senators teammates for four straight years that he had no intention of re-signing with Ottawa.
That's according to Bruce Garrioch, speaking Saturday on Sens 1-on-1.
Four years. While wearing the captain's letter.
Let that land for a second. That's not a player who quietly sought a trade.
That's a captain who reportedly made his exit plan known inside the locker room, every single season, while his teammates fought to build something around him.
Ottawa finished 44-27-11 this season with 99 points under GM Steve Staios. They went deep enough to face Carolina in the first round. The Senators weren't a bad team.
They were a team that apparently had a captain who already had one foot out the door.
Tkachuk posted 22 goals and 59 points in 60 games this past season at a cap hit of $8,205,714. The production was real. The commitment, clearly, was not.
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He's now in Florida, reunited with his brother Matthew Tkachuk, who carries a $9,500,000 cap hit with the Panthers.
Tkachuk's leadership question follows him to Florida's locker room
The Panthers finished 40-38-4, twenty-fifth overall. Florida wasn't the dominant team it once was this season.
Now they're adding a player whose idea of franchise commitment, at least in Ottawa, was telling the room he was leaving while still taking the ice as captain.
Brady could thrive in a supporting role alongside Matthew. On paper, the Tkachuk brothers on the same line is a nightmare for opposing coaches.
But the Senators situation raises a fair question about what kind of leader he actually is when things aren't going his way.
Being a great player and being a great captain aren't the same job. Ottawa found that out the hard way, apparently for four seasons running.
Whether Florida gets a motivated Brady Tkachuk or a comfortable one remains to be seen.
Was Brady Tkachuk's behavior as Senators captain unacceptable?
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