The Ottawa Senators owner doesn’t seem to want to let it go, but the players on the Senators roster have had enough of the questions about Brady Tkachuk and his exit from the organization this offseason.
During a recent interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Senators owner Michael Andlauer suggested Brady Tkachuk’s family influenced his decision to request a trade. “Blood is thicker than water, and let’s just say that his father and his brother got in his kitchen,” Andlauer said, referring to Keith and Matthew Tkachuk. In other words, Andlauer believes Brady’s father and brother played a role in convincing him to leave Ottawa.
Andlauer added, “Ultimately, the decision was made to go and play with his brother. It’s a decision that was out of our control to a certain degree. But you have to want to play for Ottawa. And right to the end, our fans were behind Brady — even after Team USA won gold. I have no doubt in my mind.”
Why Keep Talking About This?
Clearly, the Senators’ owner is frustrated at the way things unfolded. Brady spent the summer, and many months prior, talking about how the rumors he wanted out of Ottawa weren’t true. The forward claimed that fans and media were fabricating storylines to paint him in a bad light, and it was getting frustrating.
Looking back now, it appears it was Brady who wasn’t being truthful.
Andlauer took the opportunity to share his thoughts, but many are wondering why. Frustrated or not, keeping the conversation going only grows the cloud hanging over the franchise. It’s something the players don’t want, and they’re starting to speak up about it.
It could be that Andlauer is unhappy about the trade return. Perhaps he’s frustrated that Tkachuk got what he wanted and wound up in Florida. Either way, the team would prefer the subject be dropped.
Thomas Chabot Tries To Squash The Brady Tkachuk Talk
Potential future captain Thomas Chabot was asked about Andlauer’s comments and his take on Brady’s exit. He didn’t really want anything to do with keeping the narrative alive. “If we keep answering those [questions] we will answer about Brady all season long. The only person in position to answer that question would be Brady.”
Chabot, like many of his active teammates, wants the team to focus on who is still there. Brady decided, for whatever reason, that Ottawa wasn’t the best place for him. Chabot claims that’s a Brady decision, and he holds no ill will toward his former teammate for doing what he felt was right in his own career.
At the end of the day, the Senators want players on the roster who want to be there. If Brady didn’t, best of luck.
Senators head coach Travis Green said in a recent interview that he reached out to the players when the trade happened, and they’ve all dealt with the immediate feelings that resulted. “It’s not a topic at all in our room.” The Senators have moved on, and it’s probably time the owner did too.
Senators’ Chabot Draws Line After Andlauer’s Comments About Brady Tkachuk