Senators’ Tkachuk on trade rumors: ‘I’ve never said any of those things, fully committed to this team’
The on-ice leader in the nation’s capital is speaking out about some recent rumors.
When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was asked about a potential trade away from the only team he’s ever known. He noted that the discussions have become a distraction and a nuisance, but he plans to stay in Ottawa.
“I’ve never shown, I’ve never said any of those things,” Tkachuk said. “Quite honestly, it’s getting frustrating…I’ve been fully committed to this team, this city. … I feel like I’ve answered this hundreds of times that none of that I feel like I’ve never said, none of those things ever came out of my mouth. And honestly, it’s just getting frustrating.”
Brady Tkachuk on the rumours about his future. "I feel like I've answered this hundreds of times that none of that I feel like I've never said, none of those things ever came out of my mouth. And honestly, it's just getting frustrated."
The Scottsdale, Ariz. native’s name has surfaced in trade rumors in the final weeks of the regular season after the infamous appearance of father Keith on Brady and brother Matthew’s Wingmen podcast. In the episode, Keith called out the Senators’ lack of toughness, saying it’s “disgusting.” He also seemed to poke fun at Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark, who missed an extended period of time this year after being granted personal leave.
Brady attempted to put out the fire, defending his father’s remarks by saying his father was referring to the Florida Panthers. However, the fact that Brady didn’t come to any of his teammates’ defense during the show has led to criticism of the Sens’ captain.
Senators general manager Steve Staios told the media on Tuesday that the team hasn’t had any discussions about moving Tkachuk this offseason.
“This comes up often,” Staios said. “I don’t think that – there’s nothing that we have talked about or thought about where that conversation should happen.”
Tkachuk just finished the fifth season of a seven-year contract he signed in October 2021. The deal carries a cap hit of $8,205,714, with a full no-move clause for the final three years.
Tkachuk and the Senators were unceremoniously swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 26-year-old hardly made an impact in the series, failing to register a point while posting a plus/minus of -4. Ironically, it was Ullmark who gave Ottawa a chance to win, posting a .934 save percentage and a 2.03 goals-against average.
Tkachuk wasn’t available to speak during the team’s end-of-season media availability on Tuesday, as he was attending the birth of his child.