avatar
April 30, 2026
Tkachuk trade panthers
Brady Tkachuk celebrates with his older brother Matthew after Team USA won Gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. // Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

There have been plenty of trade rumors swirling around Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk — the Panthers, Blues, Flyers, Kings, name the team — and he said Wednesday that they are not only “frustrating,’’ but becoming a “distraction.’’

The rumors that perhaps the Senators and Tkachuk may both want a parting of the ways started in earnest not long after Tkachuk and Team USA won gold at the Winter Olympics over Canada.

Tkachuk failing to record a point in Carolina’s four-game sweep of the Senators has only fueled the rumor mill.


On Wednesday, Tkachuk spoke to the media for the first time since the Senators’ season came to a close.

He had a good reason for the delay: His wife gave birth to a daughter.

Since he missed Ottawa’s end-of-season availability, he had the stage to himself on Wednesday.

Those rumors? They’re not coming from him.

“None of those things have ever come out of my mouth,’’ Tkachuk said, “and quite honestly, it’s just getting frustrating. It’s becoming a distraction. 

“I have been fully committed to this team, to this city and … it’s just become a distraction. Frustrating to deal with.” 

The talk of Brady eventually teaming up with older brother Matthew Tkachuk in South Florida with the Panthers has been going on for some time now.

But, Brady seemed to be very comfortable being the captain of the up-and-coming Senators.

Moving on seemed at least to be something of a long shot.

The past couple of months have seemingly changed that — although he says it has not.

So, too, does general manager Steve Staios.

“I don’t bother with it,” Staios said on Monday. “We know what we have internally. We have great communication with our players, so we really don’t focus on it. This comes up very often. There’s nothing that we have talked about, or thought about, where that conversation should happen.”

Tkachuk, 26, has two years left on the seven-year, $58 million deal he signed in 2021.

He would be eligible to sign a contract extension starting next summer.

While it does not sound like Tkachuk nor the Senators want anything to happen right now, this certainly could be something down the road.

Right now, however, it seems like Tkachuk will be back with the Senators next season.

But this is not something that will be going away.

“Honestly, I don’t get why it’s a consistent thing,’’ Tkachuk said. “It’s happened so many times, personally, and it’s frustrating.’’

ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERS OFFSEASON
Related Topics: