How trading Brady Tkachuk might have been the best move for the future of the Ottawa Senators

Coming into Fathers Day, the expectation for a captain being traded from his team in the Atlantic was dead set on Dylan Larkin, as he requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings after a failure of a season.

The same cannot be said for Tkachuk, as he demanded his way out and made the Sens trade him for simply futures, grasping at whatever they could get from the Panthers.

Tkachuk showed his lack of leadership skills and his willingness to sink the ship after underproducing in the playoffs, waiting a total of 10 days after the Sens were eliminated to force his way out of Ottawa. When Tkachuk requested a trade, with his no movement clause, he gave a grand total of 4 teams that he would accept a trade to.

With reports stating that Tkachuk would not resign and would not accept a trade to any of the other 3 teams that he originally stated, he basically forced the Sens hand and created a situation where they had to deal him and get what they could from the Panthers, or let him go in free agency in 2028 where he would continue to be disliked and face significant tension within the locker room.

Although it was a different case for Dylan Larkin. In this specific instance, the Yzerplan led to yet another disappointing end to the season where they dropped from first in the Atlantic to missing a wildcard spot and extending a continuous 10 year playoff drought.

You can then understand why Larkin might want out of a sinking ship, not like he alone sinked the ship like another captain in the Atlantic..

This was not the same case for Tkachuk, where the Sens had been in the mix for the playoffs for two straight years and were seen as one of the best young and up and coming teams in the NHL.

Weirdly enough, there is a common factor between the two Atlantic captains and the fact of them both demanding trades out of their respective teams. This similarity is that they both played on the 2026 American Olympic team that won the gold medal in the Milano Cortina Games.

From an outsider perspective, it seems like such an odd move for two captains that were on the same team to get a taste of winning, then demand a trade to the same general teams of Florida, Minnesota, Carolina, and Vegas.

Not surprisingly, 4/4 of these teams have an American gold medalist on them, making you question what was said in those locker rooms to convince players to drop the team that drafted them and force their way out.

Of course, after getting taken out by the Leafs in 6 and then the Canes in 4, it could even be said that Brady had his point total fall off a cliff in the second year of that stretch.

In the 2024/25 season, the Sens were playing against their arch rivals in the Battle of Ontario.

In this battle, Tkachuk had 4 goals, 3 assists, and 7 points in 6 games, whereas in the 2025/26 season he seemed to be out of it.

This of course might have been due to the torn ligament in his thumb, forcing him to miss 20 games of the season after a brutal crosscheck, but he continued to produce at a point per game pace until the playoffs.

In the playoffs against the eventual Stanley Cup winners, the Carolina Hurricanes, Tkachuk put up 0 points in 4 games and although plus minus is a flawed stat, he was a -4, showcasing that the captain, who the offense of the team should drive through, was completely silent and unable to produce when the team needed him most.

It isn’t crazy to say that Brady Tkachuk failed Ottawa.

Ottawa was desperate for that strong power forward presence, a player that never gives up on the play and who is a puck hound every shift he’s on the ice. In the playoffs, it seemed like the biggest thing he brought to the series was his fight with Jordan Staal 3 seconds into Game 1 of the first round.

As it turned out, this was not the momentum swing that the Sens were hoping for. In fact, it did the complete opposite.

After this first game, the Sens were historically dominated as they never led a game in the series at all and were held to a total of 5 goals across the full 4 games, compared to the Canes, who had 11.

Thus, it can easily be said that the Sens didn’t show up. This was due to many different factors.

One factor that stays consistent, relating to the historic stat of never leading, was their offense. When they needed it most, their offense was nowhere to be found, and even rookie defenseman Carter Yakemchuk put up 2 points in 1 game, outscoring the team’s captain.

Nonetheless, the Sens might be in a better position getting rid of Tkachuk than they were in before.

This ties into the next part of this article. The Sens now have twenty five million one hundred eighty three thousand three hundred and thirty three (25,183,333) in cap space.

This is important, as Tkachuk’s contract was over 8.2 million dollars. Getting rid of that contract created many new opportunities, and the wealth of draft picks that they’ve gained gives the Sens the ability to do 2 things that can improve their team exponentially.

 

Firstly, as stated, they have an incredible amount of draft picks, as seen above, with 3 1st round picks this year, the most notable one being the Florida pick at 9th overall, along with a slew of third round picks.

It is possible that the Ottawa Senators make a trade with this years draft picks and the abundance of future draft picks tied in with players in order to go out and acquire those star players that can immediately make a difference.

The ones that come to my mind around the rumour mill are as follows:

Mason Mctavish

Mctavish, the 23 year old 6’1 Ottawa born winger/centre, is a former 3rd overall pick by the Ducks from the 2021 NHL Draft who was highly touted to be that workhorse that does not give up and places continuous pressure on the opposing team’s defence with smooth hands and a hard accurate shot. 

He has had his ups and downs with Anaheim, as he plateaued during the Ducks 2024/25 season with 52 points in 76 games and has regressed since towards the 40 point mark.

He is a very solid player that can put up 20 goals and 30 assists when in the right place. The worry about him is his skating ability.

The Sens should be hard after Mctavish, as he is a solid replacement for Tkachuk to a certain degree.

These next two players are more unlikely, as they would cost much more and would need to waive their no movement clauses for Ottawa, but are still possibilities.

Jason Robertson

Robertson’s name has been floating around ever since the beginning of last season, if my memory serves me right. There was the thought that Robertson might not resign with the Stars and attempt to go elsewhere.

It’s all speculation, but NHL reporters believe that he won’t resign with the Stars. If that happens, much like the Darren Raddysh signing, it would be a sign and trade, but to a higher degree.

Jason Robertson, the 6’3, 26 year old American winger, has quietly been a superstar in the NHL since 2021, exploding for 79 points in 74 games, as seen below, and continuously putting up close to 30 goals at minimum and 50 assists.

As you can see in the player card from Hockeyalchemy.com, Jason Robertson is showcasing a 99th percentile WAR. That means that he is in fact better than 99% of NHL players. EVO and PPO are respectively even strength offence and power play offence, which he is also in the 99th percentile of.

This goes to show that he can transform the Ottawa Senators with his goal scoring alone, not to mention his dominance in board battles which can lead for defensive turnovers making him even more valuable to the desperate Sens team.

These factors, along with the fact that he is an elite player, make the Sens one of the better teams in the East, as they are already a very deep team.

There is an issue that comes to mind though. Jason Robertson did not make the Olympic team this year, but he is an American from California.

The question still hangs in the air, will the American sign long term in Canada, or is there a risk of another Brady Tkachuk situation happening to the Sens again when most of their players are in their prime?

Jordan Kyrou

Lastly for trades, Jordan Kyrou. Kyrou is a 28 year old Toronto born winger/centre. He is a very solid complimentary player. He can finish on chances, make those tough defensive plays, and make other teams best players make mistakes.

Although Kyrou didn’t put up fantastic numbers this year, neither did most of the St. Louis Blues.

They had a harsh start to the season and picked it up at the end. There’s no reason to doubt his ability, and he could be that go to guy to play on the line with Stutzle just like Tkachuk formerly did.

The issue for Ottawa is that Kyrou would likely be the most difficult player on this list to acquire. The Blues are one of the younger teams in the NHL and are attempting to build a roster that can compete both now and in the future. Kyrou fits perfectly into that timeline.

At 28 years old, he is still in his prime and is one of the key pieces of the Blues forward group. Unlike some players who may be available due to contract disputes or cap concerns, St. Louis has little reason to move a player of Kyrou’s calibre unless they are blown away by an offer.

This means Ottawa would likely have to part with significant assets, whether that be high draft picks, top prospects, or NHL ready players. The Blues know what they have in Kyrou, and because of that they would be in no rush to move him.

That being said, if Ottawa were somehow able to acquire him, he would immediately provide another top six scoring option and help replace some of the offensive production that left with Tkachuk. His speed, skill, and ability to play both wing and centre would give the Sens even more flexibility throughout their lineup.

There is of course another option, that being offer sheets.

As you can see below, say offer sheeting Jason Robertson, the star forward, for 15 million as he is demanding. That would cost the Sens their next 4 first round picks, starting in 2027 and ending in 2031.

Even if the Sens offer sheet him for a lower amount, like 12 million, the Stars only have just over 10.1 million in cap space. So unless they make roster moves, and if Robertson waives his no trade clause, he could very possibly be an Ottawa Senator.

Although giving up four first round picks sounds like a massive price, Robertson is not your average player. He is a proven point producer, one of the better wingers in the NHL, and still in the prime of his career. Players of that calibre rarely become available, and when they do, teams are usually forced to pay a premium.

The question for Ottawa becomes whether they value those future draft picks more than adding an established superstar who can help them contend immediately. If the goal is to win while players like Stutzle, Sanderson, Batherson, and Ullmark are in their primes, then sacrificing those picks becomes a much more realistic discussion.

Pavel Dorofeyev

The last player I’d say for the Sens to offer sheet is Pavel Dorofeyev.

Dorofeyev, a 6’1, 24 year old Russian breakout winger, was lights out in the playoffs. He has proven he can be depended on and is a high end top six forward that, in the right situation and with continued development, can become Ottawa’s first line winger.

As you can see, if given the opportunity, he can be that 30 goal, 20 assist guy that finishes those chances when needed and gives that much needed boost to the stagnant Senators offense.

The offer sheet could be quite a bit lower in monetary value, thus forcing the Sens to give up less draft capital.

If they were to try and outbid the Knights, who only have 4.625 million in cap space, and they believe Dorofeyev can be that player to play with Stutzle and Batherson and bring back that high scoring tempo, they could offer sheet him for around 8 million or even higher.

At this point, the draft picks sacrificed would be in a lower quantity. Say, for example, according to the chart from Sportsnet below, they offer 8.25 million per year for a term of their choice and Dorofeyev accepts. This would only cost them their first, second, and third round pick.

Whilst that might seem like a hefty price to pay, according to GMNHL only about 67% of second rounders play meaningful NHL games and only about 51.5% of third rounders do.

In all likelihood, the possibility of finding a diamond in the rough like a Dorofeyev in the third round is slim to none, so if given the opportunity they should jump at it.

Unlike Robertson, Dorofeyev is also younger and would fit almost perfectly into Ottawa’s current timeline. The Sens would not be acquiring a player at the end of his prime, but rather a player who is still developing and could continue to improve alongside the rest of Ottawa’s young core.

That is what makes Dorofeyev such an interesting target. He would cost less than a superstar like Robertson, require less draft capital, and still provide the type of offensive upside that Ottawa desperately needs following the departure of Brady Tkachuk.

Overall, although the situation with Brady Tkachuk might sting now for Sens fans, the fact that the Sens were able to get three 1st round picks and a second after being stiff armed by their captain is incredible.

They look poised to make a big splash in either free agency or on the trade market.

In the next few weeks, I would not be surprised to see the Sens bolstering their 1LW whilst, with the added cap space, finding a very suitable backup goalie, again whether in trade or free agency, to take the load off of Linus Ullmark.

What I find most interesting, though, is not the trade itself. It’s what happened before it.

As I mentioned earlier in this article, Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Larkin were both members of the gold medal winning American Olympic team in 2026. Not long after getting a taste of winning on the international stage, both captains wanted out of the organizations that drafted them.

Maybe it’s simply a coincidence. Maybe both players were frustrated with their situations for completely different reasons. But from an outsider perspective, it does make you wonder what conversations were taking place in that locker room.

Was it simply a group of players discussing what it was like to play for perennial contenders? Was it a realization of how difficult it is to win in the NHL? Or was there something more that convinced players that their best chance at success was somewhere else?

We’ll probably never know the answer.

What we do know is that Ottawa now finds itself at a crossroads. They can choose to sit back, make their draft picks, and continue building through the system, or they can use the massive amount of draft capital and cap space they now possess to aggressively improve the roster and push towards becoming a true contender in the Eastern Conference.

Personally, I think they should be aggressive.

The opportunity to replace Tkachuk’s production, improve their forward group, and capitalize on the prime years of players like Stutzle, Sanderson, Batherson, and Ullmark is right in front of them.

Now I’ll leave the question to you.

What do you think happened that caused both Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Larkin to want out after representing Team USA? Was it simply frustration with their organizations, or do you think something changed after winning gold in Milano Cortina?

And more importantly, do you think the Ottawa Senators are actually better off moving forward without Brady Tkachuk?

Let me know your thoughts down below.

Sources used throughout this article include HockeyAlchemy, Elite Prospects, GMNHL, and Sportsnet. Credit goes to these sources for the statistics, player cards, draft information, and graphics used to support the analysis in this article.

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