Are players taking the easy route for success?
The NHL is entering a new era of player empowerment.
Largely centered around key members of Team USA’s gold-medal winning squad at the 2026 Winter Olympics, major NHL players like Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Brady Tkachuk, now of the Florida Panthers, either have or are in the process of facilitating moves away from the teams that drafted them to teams better positioned to win the Stanley Cup now.
It’s a notable trend fresh off a Cup win by the Carolina Hurricanes that was powered by longtime players and keen acquisitions who by no means forced their way to Raleigh, and a remark by Conn Smythe Trophy-winning captain Jordan Staal, who pointed out that “some guys just jump ship” while explaining how much it meant to him with a team he believed in, one that he’d fought for since 2012.
There is a growing contrast between players determined to win in the situations in which they find themselves and ones willing to use their leverage to go to teams who have already proven they can win, or spots that could just be one last piece away.
On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, host Tyler Yaremchuk and co-host and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discussed whether or not the recent trend of prominent players requesting trades represents a growth in players taking the easy way out when it comes to battling for hockey’s ultimate prize.
Tyler Yaremchuk: Before we talk about what’s next for Ottawa… A guy like Brady basically saying, ‘I’m not re-signing as a UFA…’ When it came time for him to submit a list, which he reportedly did, it had Carolina, Florida, Vegas and I think Minnesota was on it as well. The St. Louis Blues, for example, Brady Tkachuk’s hometown team… Doug Armstrong today came out and said, ‘We called and we weren’t on the list…’ The Chicago Blackhawks… The New York Rangers… No, you weren’t on the list. Let’s say Brady was honestly willing to waive for Carolina, Vegas or ultimately Florida, obviously. Those are the reigning Stanley Cup champion, the reigning Western Conference champion, and a team that’s been to three Cup Finals in the last four years. Do you think there’s anything to be said about players, and this ties into the Dylan Larkin conversation… players wanting to take the easy route by going the super team way?
Carter Hutton: I guess so. I think it’s just weird being on the other side of it now, where when we see players get bought out or owners or management doing things to players, we’re like ‘Hey, that’s part of the business,’ but now we’re seeing the players be weaponized with these no-movement clauses. There’s the other side of it… You look at Mitch Marner and Nikolaj Ehlers who both were in the Stanley Cup Final. They walked themselves to free agency, and Mitch Marner a little bit different than Nikolaj Ehlers… but either way, they walked to UFA status. They leave their teams for nothing, and then both of those teams are devastated this year. They went from Atlantic Division winner, didn’t make the playoffs. Presidents’ Trophy winner, didn’t make the playoffs. And now you lose those guys for nothing, so Brady Tkachuk, I get there’s this standpoint of screwing the Ottawa Senators… He showed face. He played. Behind closed doors, he says at UFA status, I’m not re-signing here. Steve Staios knows he better get something for him… I think as a player, that’s the power you have now.
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode below…