The Ottawa Senators season ended in disappointing fashion last weekend with the squad getting swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs. This is the second year in a row the team has been eliminated in the first round, following their loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 24-25.
The series was never particularly close at any moment as Carolina easily dispatched the Senators. To put in perspective how lopsided the matchup was, Ottawa never had the lead in any point of the matchup. Ottawa’s embarrassing performance has put many players future’s with the club in doubt.
This includes captain Brady Tkachuk as his name has been in the rumor mill this week following the team’s playoff struggles.
Ottawa GM Comments on Brady Tkachuk Speculation
Senators general manager Steve Staios was asked about the rumors surrounding Tkachuk’s future at the Senators end of season presser today. Staios shut down the speculation with these comments: “This comes up often. I don’t think that – there’s nothing that we have talked about or thought about where that conversation should happen.”
Staios denied any allegations that the team have discussed moving Brady over the offseason or will consider doing so in the future. The 26-year old American forward only has two seasons left on his current contract with the organization, so these questions will no doubt continue to persist until then if these postseason deficiencies continue.
Tkachuk was one of many Senators who struggled to produce during their latest playoff run. In fact, he was held off the scoresheet altogether as he went pointless through four games.
Senators Need to Figure Out Playoff Struggles
While the Tkachuk rumors have been put on hold for now, plans can change. If the franchise remains stuck in playoff mediocrity, the trade talk regarding Tkachuk will not go away.
Tkachuk would garner plenty of interest around the league if he did become available. Power forward players like him are difficult to find in the modern NHL that relies more on skill than physicality. Tkachuk in many ways is the complete package as he can both get on the scoreboard and wear down the opposition with his toughness.
The Senators need a bounce back performance come playoff time next season. They have yet to win a series in the Tkachuk era and have not won a postseason round since their 2017 eastern conference final run.
Staios will have a busy offseason ahead of him when it comes to upgrading this roster in the hopes of going on a deeper playoff run next year. They have a solid core to build around that includes the likes of Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot.
This team appears to have the talent to get the job done down the stretch, but it has not happened yet. Perhaps the Hurricanes were just a tough draw and they will fare better against another team down the road. Until then, there is work to be done in the nation’s capital.
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