Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk sat down with the media on Wednesday to put a cap on his 2025–26 season. There was plenty to discuss, especially after he went pointless in the four-game series sweep against the Carolina Hurricanes. Questions about whether Tkachuk was hurt began to surface as the series went on, as his play was, for all intents and purposes, quite mediocre. It wasn’t until Game 4 that he seemed to come alive. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late for the Sens, and their season came to an end.
You can’t say he isn’t dedicated, though, as he and his wife welcomed a baby girl just days prior. Yet that’s all anyone has been talking about since the Sens were eliminated. Trade rumours surfaced quickly that Tkachuk would be unhappy and request a trade, that he was checked out after winning gold, or that he wanted to play in the United States. Sens fans have heard just about every rumour possible, and every time, Tkachuk has had to refute them.
Tuesday was no different, as Tkachuk described the trade rumours as “frustrating and a distraction to this team.” But this is nothing new; it dates back to 2024, when Michael Andlauer accused the New York Rangers of “soft tampering” after a report from Larry Brooks suggested the Rangers would heavily target Tkachuk.
Brady Tkachuk: "It's just getting frustrating." #gosensgo pic.twitter.com/FMeCHDqSoo
— Coming In Hot (@ComingInHotSens) April 29, 2026
The rumours have persisted since then, and every few months, Tkachuk and general manager Steve Staios refute reports that he will be traded, has asked for a trade, or doesn’t want to be in Ottawa. A quick Google search shows that, in the past week alone, pages of articles have been written about speculation surrounding Tkachuk, and they will likely continue even as he and Staios try to put them to rest. Staios has had to address these rumours multiple times, and during his media availability on Monday, he said, “It’s nonsense… I don’t read it, I don’t bother with it.”
There will continue to be questions about whether Tkachuk wants to stay long-term, at least until he signs his next contract with the team in 2028, and likely even after that. Whether he is traded in the future will ultimately be a decision for Staios and Andlauer. Until then, Tkachuk remains the captain of the Senators and will be ready to play at the start of next season.
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