There have already been a few notable trades in the National Hockey League in the weeks following the Stanley Cup victory by the Carolina Hurricanes, but this one instantly jumps to the forefront.
On Sunday afternoon, it was confirmed that the Ottawa Senators have traded captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, meaning that he’ll join forces with his brother, Matthew Tkachuk.
In return, the Senators received both of Florida’s first-round picks in Friday’s draft — the No. 9 pick originally owned by the Panthers and the No. 25 selection they previously acquired from the Seattle Kraken in a deal involving Mackie Samoskevich earlier on Sunday — along with a 2029 first-round pick and a future second-round selection.
The Ottawa Senators Have Traded Brady Tkachuk To The Panthers, Where His Brother Matthew Plays
Now, Tkachuk will get a chance to once again play with his brother Matthew, with whom he helped Team USA win the historic gold medal this spring over Team Canada.
Tkachuk, the son of former NHL All-Star Keith Tkachuk, was taken by the Senators in the opening round (fourth overall pick) of the 2018 NHL Draft, and he would eventually be named team captain.
He was asked directly about his future with the Senators after their season came to a close, and he said that he had every intent on continuing his career in Ottawa.
“Well, I mean, of course I wasn’t here for, you know, everybody’s meetings the other day,” Tkachuk answered. “So I haven’t had the chance to talk to Steve (Staios), but I mean, I feel like I’ve answered this hundreds of times. None of that, I feel like I’ve ever shown. I’ve never said….none of those things have ever come out of my mouth. Quite honestly, it’s becoming frustrating. It’s becoming a distraction. I have been fully committed to this team and the city, and it’s just become a distraction, and it’s frustrating to deal with.”
Tkachuk Was “Heartbroken” By Senators Loss In Playoffs To Hurricanes
The Senators, who made the playoffs for the second year in a row, were the first team eliminated from Stanley Cup contention thanks to their sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, who eventually went on to win the Cup itself.
Afterward, Tkachuk said that he was “heartbroken” by the loss.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “Really tight series. Give credit to them, they are a really (good) team and play hard. Everybody in this room gave everything they had to try to extend the series. It’s tough.”
Two of the games in the series were decided by just one goal, and Ottawa probably felt they still had a chance right up until Carolina forward Sebastian Aho scored into an empty net late in regulation of Game 4, effectively sealing it and denying them an opportunity to force overtime.
The Senators also didn’t get any scoring contributions from Brady Tkachuk throughout the series, though that also underscores just how disciplined and tight defensively the Hurricanes have been under head coach Rod Brind’Amour.
“We knew it was going to be an absolute grind of a series and I think every game showed there wasn’t much room,” said Tkachuk. “Sometimes you don’t get the luck with some of the posts and some of the chances that don’t go in.
“It’s just heartbreaking.”
Breaking: Senators Have Traded Captain Brady Tkachuk