The persistent question surrounding the Ottawa Senators’ playoff resurgence is the future of their captain, Brady Tkachuk. Speculation has intensified, particularly following the Olympics, with Tkachuk facing questions about off-ice matters and his podcast with Matthew Tkachuk. Despite the external noise and its apparent toll on him, Tkachuk maintains his dedication to winning a Stanley Cup with the Senators.
In a recent interview on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman directly addressed Tkachuk’s future with the club amidst the distractions. Tkachuk responded by stating that external noise and opinions are beyond his control and that he chooses not to be distracted by them. His sole focus, he emphasized, is on winning, specifically a Stanley Cup with the Ottawa Senators.
When pressed about the ongoing speculation that his future with Ottawa will remain a talking point until a long-term deal is signed or another significant development occurs, Tkachuk reiterated his stance. He acknowledged that people will always discuss his future but stressed that these discussions do not originate from him or the team. His priority remains giving his all to the team and his teammates in pursuit of a Stanley Cup victory.
It remains to be seen what transpires after the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tkachuk is currently under a seven-year, $57.5 million contract signed in October 2021, with two more seasons remaining at an $8.21 million Average Annual Value and a full no-movement clause. For any trade speculation to materialize, Tkachuk would need to express a desire to leave, a sentiment he has not conveyed. The trade rumors have, to date, stemmed from outside the organization, leaving the question of whether his perspective might shift amidst the ongoing situation.
English Translation:
The topic that refuses to disappear as the Ottawa Senators return to playoff contention is whether their captain, Brady Tkachuk, will remain with the franchise. Brady Tkachuk has been circulating in the rumor mill for some time now, and things have only escalated since the Olympics.
The line of questioning he received after winning the Gold Medal, pertaining to events off the ice unrelated to hockey, as well as some of the discussions on his Wingman Podcast with Matthew Tkachuk, suggests it’s affecting him. However, he remains committed to helping the Ottawa Senators win a Stanley Cup.
During the Monday edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast with Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas, Friedman sat down with Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk. He asked the Senators captain about his future with the club, given all the noise, distractions, and political questions he had to navigate after Team USA won a Gold Medal at the Olympics.
Elliotte Friedman: “All right, I guess there’s a question that comes from that, pretty much, and that is, in any way, will any of that affect your future with the Ottawa Senators?”
Brady Tkachuk: “I mean, all the distractions that have happened this year have been nothing that I can control, and people just have no like anything, have the right to their opinion. I mean, they’re not in my head what I’m thinking. They’re not in the team’s head, and what they’re thinking. So for me, my mindset has always been just all that stuff, all that noise, just don’t even listen to it. Can’t control it, because it’s just a waste of time for me to get upset or distracted by it. Because at the end of the day, all I care about is winning, winning a Stanley Cup, and now being in playoffs, having the opportunity to do that.”
Friedman: “All right. It’s last one on this topic. Someone did say that to me recently, that’s just where we are, and we’re in a situation where this is always going to be a thing, Brady Tkachuk and Ottawa, and his future, until either you sign a long-term deal or something else happens. Do you kind of look at it that way? It’s just a thing that we’re all going to have to deal with?”
Tkachuk: “Yeah. I mean, I think it’s people are always going to be talking about it. And for me, it’s important. It’s never come from my mouth. I don’t think it’s ever come from a team’s mouth. It’s just people have their right to their opinion and talk about what could be, what might happen. But at the end of day, it’s my sole focus is winning a Stanley Cup, winning one here, and giving absolutely everything I have to know this team and the guys in the room.”
It will be interesting to see where things go for Brady Tkachuk after the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Will he finish the seven-year, $57.5 million contract he signed with the club back on October 14, 2021? He has two more seasons following the conclusion of this one with an $8.21 million AAV and a full no-movement clause.
Brady Tkachuk would have to tell the Senators he wants out. So far, he hasn’t. If you have been following this story, the Tkachuk trade speculation has been coming from outside Ottawa, not from within. But, given everything going on, will his mind change?
