Two of the most important players on the Ottawa Senators are captain Brady Tkachuk and defenseman Thomas Chabot. The two have been in Ottawa their whole careers since being drafted.
In 2025, the Senators made the playoffs for the first time with both Tkachuk and Chabot on the team. Despite losing in six games to the Toronto Maple Leafs, this past season was a big step in the right direction in the future.
As 2025 free agency will draw closer, the Senators will have decisions to make on which players to re-sign and walk. However, 2028 might be a year that the Senators aren't thinking about right now that could be a huge Summer.
Tkachuk and Chabot have their contracts each run out after 2028
Tkachuk has his seven-year extension at $8,205,714 per year run out in 2028. In an insane twist, Chabot will have his eight-year extension at $8 million per year run out in 2028 as well. Having both Tkachuk and Chabot's contract each running out in the same year and being unrestricted free agents could be a scary thing to think about.
Tkachuk has been part of the Senators organization since being drafted in 2018. For Chabot, he's been part of the Senators organization since being drafted in 2015.
Players who spend their careers with one team might want to finish their career with that team. However, players who have spent their careers with one team don't always stay with that team forever. One new example of that was a captain of a team, which Tkachuk is currently captain of the Senators.
This past free agency, Steven Stamkos had spent his whole career with the Tampa Bay Lightning since being drafted in 2008. Stamkos didn't re-sign in Tampa Bay last Summer and signed with the Nashville Predators. Sens fans not seeing Tkachuk in any other jersey but a Senators jersey might be an ugly thing to look at.
With Tkachuk being 25 years old and Chabot being 28 years old, it's hard to predict what will happen in three years. One or both of them could potentially show signs of slowing down, but this past season was a phenomenal one for both players.
Tkachuk led the Senators with 29 goals and got more recognition with his presence in the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team USA. Tkachuk also led the Senators with seven points during the 2025 playoffs. Chabot's 45 points was the second most among Senators defensemen and his +17 rating was the second highest on the roster.
If both Tkachuk and Chabot continue to raise their game by 2028, it could lead them to asking for bigger salaries, which can put the Senators in a tough decision on who to re-sign in 2028. Re-signing both of them could be a difficult thing for the Senators to do.
2028 might not be a year that the Senators and their fans are thinking much about, but having two key players on the roster having their contracts run out together with Tkachuk and Chabot, it might a year that could shake up the franchise.