Senators And Brady Tkachuk Still Not Close To New Contract
Since Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes inked deals with the Vancouver Canucks earlier this week, all eyes are now on Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators.
Tkachuk is the final remaining major restricted free agent. The former No. 4 overall pick from the 2018 NHL Draft has reached the end of his entry-level contract and has put up 60 goals and 125 points over the course of 198 career games with the Senators.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Senators want to get Tkachuk locked into a long-term deal while he wants to wait a few years before making such a commitment…
“It’s not Defcon 1 between Ottawa and Brady Tkachuk, but there’s a challenging philosophical disagreement. The Senators believe Tkachuk wants to be there long-term, and I don’t think they’re wrong. But Ottawa wants that commitment now and the winger is not ready to go seven or eight years. There’s two factors at play. First, the shackles should be off the cap in three seasons — opening new contract possibilities — and even though coach DJ Smith and linemate Drake Batherson were extended, I think Tkachuk wants to make sure ownership instability is not something he regrets locking-in for.”
Elliote Friedman, 32 Thoughts
It’s easy to understand why Tkachuk might be wary of signing a seven- or eight-year contract right now. For starters, the NHL’s salary cap is going to be locked for a few years due to the revenue shortfall from the COVID-shortened 2019-20 and 2021 seasons, so Tkachuk will be able to earn a bigger long-term contract with the Senators in the future if he inks a bridge deal now.
Also, the Senators aren’t without their own drama. Owner Eugene Melnyk has been all over the grid with his investment in the team, pushing to sell off key players such as Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone after they showed legitimate interest in sticking around in Ottawa for the long haul.
Head coach D.J. Smith is operating as though the team is going to start the season without Tkachuk. Smith said that given the Senators only has two preseason games left, he has to focus on the players who are currently with the team.
“We were hoping obviously he’d be here by now,” Smith said Tuesday. “As coaches, you know these things can linger on and you kind of put lines together in the back of your mind thinking ‘when Brady gets here thinking this is going to happen, this is going to happen.”
“We’re at the point now where we only have two exhibition games left so I’ve got to start preparing like he’s not going to be here. So that changes things. He’s obviously a huge piece to our team. But that’s not my job. My job is to coach the guys that are here. When he gets here, I’ll coach him.”
Ottawa will play the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday before hosting the Leafs next Thursday for their 2021-22 season opener. While everyone wants Tkachuk to be there, it’s looking as though that won’t be the case.