Brady Tkachuk

Snapshots: Tkachuk, Stars, Garland

September 4, 2021 at 2:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

With Drake Batherson now signed, the Senators can squarely turn their focus to getting a new deal done with RFA winger Brady Tkachuk. Speaking with reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, GM Pierre Dorion declined to comment on the status of negotiations, only stating that “We’ve had productive, positive discussions with Brady’s camp” which would contrast a recent report from TSN1200’s Shawn Simpson who relayed (Twitter link) that there is some frustration setting in with Tkachuk’s camp.

The 21-year-old could be eyeing Andrei Svechnikov’s eight-year, $62MM deal with Carolina as a legitimate comparable contract which would make him Ottawa’s highest-paid forward but would still keep him below Thomas Chabot’s $8MM AAV for the highest-paid player on the team. As some of Ottawa’s top youngsters come up for new deals, trying to keep all of those below Chabot’s price tag would seem like a viable strategy for the Senators in an effort to keep their window for contention open as long as possible.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

Stars head coach Rick Bowness told Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News that forwards Tyler Seguin (hip and knee), Roope Hintz (groin), Alexander Radulov (core), and defenseman Joel Hanley (core) have all recovered from their respective injuries and surgeries and will be ready for training camp. Seguin, in particular, will be a welcome return as he was only able to suit up in three games last season, managing a pair of goals in those contests. They’re still not fully healthy, however, as there is plenty of uncertainty surrounding goalie Ben Bishop’s future which is why Braden Holtby was surprisingly signed in free agency this summer.
While winger Conor Garland believed the Bruins might show interest in him, he told Matt Porter of the Boston Globe that his camp never heard from Boston when Arizona was shopping him around the league. The 25-year-old Scituate native had identified Boston, Toronto, and Los Angeles as potential fits but he wound up being moved to Vancouver instead where he quickly signed a five-year, $24.75MM contract. Garland wouldn’t rule out the idea of playing for his hometown team down the road but it won’t be happening anytime soon.

Morning Notes: Kotkaniemi, Tkachuk, Brown

August 29, 2021 at 10:31 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 16 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes shot back at the Montreal Canadiens yesterday by submitting an offer sheet for Jesperi Kotkaniemi, but even if they hadn’t there was some concern over the young center’s future in Montreal. Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that earlier this summer, some close to Kotkaniemi predicted that he had already played his last game with the Canadiens. The interesting part, however, is that now he has signed an offer sheet, Montreal can’t trade him for a year even if they decide to match it.

As CapFriendly explains, it would basically mean that the young forward would get a no-trade clause for a year, meaning he’d be earning that entire $6.1MM contract in Montreal. The Hurricanes apparently tried to trade for Kotkaniemi before tendering the offer sheet, but have now tied the Canadiens’ hands in more ways than one.

The Ottawa Senators have a restricted free agent of their own still to sign, as Brady Tkachuk still doesn’t have a deal for this season. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia writes that though things are quiet on that front, it is believed that the Senators are trying for an eight-year contract for their young winger. There’s a brand new comparable to bring up in those talks after Andrei Svechnikov signed his eight-year, $62MM extension in Carolina. Svechnikov was selected just two picks ahead of Tkachuk in 2018 and the two forwards have very similar career stats to this point. Garrioch suggests that if Tkachuk does sign an eight-year deal, it very well may come with the captain’s “C.”
At the very end of his piece on Tkachuk, Garrioch includes another short note about RFA forward Logan Brown. The scribe suggests that Brown “could be dealt before camp” and remains unsigned at the moment. Now 23, the 11th overall pick from 2016 has just 30 games of NHL experience under his belt, something he and his agents have expressed frustration about in the past. The 6’6″ forward has played very well at the AHL level, racking up 79 points in 94 games, but has never received a lengthy chance in the NHL. It’s hard to see exactly where he fits in now that the Senators have so many other young forwards and Brown is now eligible for waivers. A fresh start makes sense, though obviously, it remains to be seen if GM Pierre Dorion feels the same.

Snapshots: Senators, Slepets, Rossi

August 25, 2021 at 8:26 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

As the Ottawa Senators look to finally move past their extended rebuild and take a step toward relevance this season, it is about time they name a leader of this next stage for the franchise. Speaking with the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators head coach D.J. Smith stated that “It’s time for someone to be the leader of this group.” Smith believes that Ottawa is ready to name a captain after a three-season hiatus and tells Garrioch that he intends to speak with owner Eugene Melnyk and GM Pierre Dorion about making a decision before the end of training camp. The last player to wear the “C” was Erik Karlsson during the 2017-18 season and the Senators have used only alternates in the years since. However, with young defenseman Thomas Chabot signed long-term and young forward Brady Tkachuk hoping to join him for years to come, the Senators have two players that can be the face of the franchise for many years and either one would be a good pick as captain. Which one will be a difficult and important decision for the young locker room, which is why the organization’s leaders have taken their time and will still wait to name a captain until closer to the beginning of the season.

The odds of Carolina Hurricanes prospect Kirill Slepets making the jump to North America any time soon took another hit today. Just two weeks ago, Slepets re-signed in the KHL on a one-year deal with Spartak Moscow. The move came on the heels of a poor season for Slepets in which he played exclusively in the second-tier VHL rather than the KHL and led some to believe that the 22-year-old may cross the pond to continue his development. Instead, he stayed in Russia and after today’s trade may be settling in for an extended stay. Spartak has traded Slepets to his hometown team, Amur Khabarovsk, the club announced. Going the other way was former NHL forward Andrei Loktionov, proving that Slepets still has value in the KHL despite a down year. He has even more value to Amur, who are very excited to bring the prodigal son home and could be able to convince him to stay long-term. The 2019 fifth-round pick remains an interesting project to watch for the Hurricanes, especially given the ability he flashed at the junior level, but his NHL future is more in doubt now than ever.
Minnesota Wild prospect Marco Rossi has no doubt that he is ready to compete for an NHL roster spot after missing this past season due to an extensive battle with COVID-19. The 2020 No. 9 overall pick has been working out hard to get back into game shape and will get his first test this week suiting up for Austria in the Olympic qualifiers. However, he is already looking ahead to Wild training camp and is confident that he can make impact in Minnesota this year. Talking to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Rossi stated the following:

I know I haven’t played a lot of games in the last year, year and a half, but now that I can see my fitness level and my shape, I know I’m better in shape than a lot of NHL players. I see no doubt about it that I can play in the NHL. I know I can play there. I know how good I am, but I have to prove myself in training camp that I’m ready for that. I know it’s going to be up to me to show I’m ready to play right away.

Senators Notes: RFAs, Brannstrom, Strome

August 15, 2021 at 5:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

While many teams have been active in re-signing their restricted free agents, the Senators still have a lot of work to do on that front. They have a total of six RFAs in need of new deals, headlined by winger Brady Tkachuk. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that Ottawa has exchanged several different term and salary ideas with Tkachuk’s camp which suggests they’re not necessarily fixated on working out only a short-term or long-term deal. Matthew Tkachuk’s three-year, $21MM pact has long been speculated as a possible price tag for a bridge deal while one that buys out some UFA eligibility would be more expensive than that.

Another RFA still needing a new deal is center Logan Brown. Garrioch reports that GM Pierre Dorion is still trying to move the 23-year-old who was limited to just 14 games last season (only one of which was in Ottawa) due to injury. The 2016 first-rounder could certainly benefit from a change of scenery but Garrioch adds that the Sens are looking to make a hockey deal and not just give him away. In that context, it would appear as if they’re looking for a similar prospect that could benefit from a fresh start with another organization.

More from Garrioch’s column on the Sens:

The team would like to add an impact forward still, likely a winger and with the free agent market pretty much bereft of those now once the Islanders make their expected signings official, Garrioch suggests that defenseman Erik Brannstrom could be dangled in trade talks. The 21-year-old was the centerpiece of the Mark Stone trade back in 2019 after being the 15th overall pick by Vegas two years earlier but has yet to really establish himself at the NHL level. Last season, he played in 30 games with Ottawa, recording two goals and 11 assists.
The Senators are believed to be among the teams that have inquired about Blackhawks forward Dylan Strome. The 24-year-old has been a speculative trade candidate for the better part of a year now and is coming off a tough year that saw him put up 17 points in 40 games while spending time between center and the wing. Strome is young enough to still fit in as part of Ottawa’s core and his $3MM cap hit ($3.6MM salary) should keep the acquisition cost low.

Free Agent Focus: Ottawa Senators

July 12, 2021 at 7:12 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 3 Comments

Free agency is now just under a month away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in late July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. The Senators have some juicy extensions lined up this offseason with a couple of important restricted free agents to sign to deals.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Brady Tkachuk – Three seasons into his NHL career, the younger Tkachuk has found his way into the hearts of Sens fans with his gritty, power-forward-esque style of play. He’s been on pace for at least 20 goals and 40 points in every full season, establishing a remarkable amount of consistency throughout his young career. Don’t let his not-necessarily elite point production fool you, though. Tkachuk’s finishing ability leaves a lot to be desired, but that only means that his offensive chance generation is more than his point totals would suggest. Considering Tkachuk’s impact on the rebuilding team in such a short amount of time, it makes sense that Ottawa will want to extend him long-term. That’ll likely happen, as Tkachuk’s a player who’ll likely be affordable over the course of a long-term extension.

F Drake Batherson – A former fourth-round pick of the Sens, Batherson was a huge breakout star this season in Ottawa. 17 goals and 34 points in 56 games as a 22-year-old with not too much help stands out as someone who has quite a bit of potential. Playing legitimate top-six minutes against tougher competition, Batherson was also a great power-play threat. He looked like one of the players who fit in the most on this Ottawa team, and he’s likely to be around for a very long time. However, with only one true season showing what he can do under his belt, a cheap bridge deal is the likely outcome for Batherson. He still has multiple seasons left of RFA eligibility, so Ottawa should easily be able to lock him down long-term once his next deal is complete.

Other RFAs: F Michael Amadio, F Logan Brown, F Vitaly Abramov, F J.C. Beaudin, F Jack Kopacka, F Jonathan Davidsson, F Zachary Magwood, D Victor Mete, D Brandon Fortunato, D Olle Alsing, G Marcus Hogberg, G Filip Gustavsson

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Ryan Dzingel – After being in and out of the Senators organization, Dzingel had his worst season as an NHLer in 2020-21. His 13 points in 40 games between Ottawa and Carolina this season were a far cry from the potential he showed with his 26-goal, 56-point season in 2018-19. Dzingel saw a heavy reduction in minutes this season as well, playing just 12:42 a night. Dzingel likely has huge bounce-back potential if given more opportunity, but he shouldn’t and won’t get that with Ottawa. Now 29, a Dzingel re-signing would make little sense for Ottawa given the youth movement they’ve built up, with its success showing this season. Dzingel could find success elsewhere, but Ottawa shouldn’t beat themselves up too much if they let him go.

F Artem Anisimov – Brought in via trade to be an experienced veteran at their paper-thin center position, Anisimov’s done his job as a Senator. He’s actually produced at a fairly decent pace, especially considering his age and declining health. His 29 points over 68 games are definitely acceptable, especially for a player who was largely utilized in a fourth-line role. He showed he still had more left in the tank with 15 goals in 2019-20, but struggled more on the scoresheet this year. Anisimov likely has a bit more NHL hockey left in him, but he could also return home to Russia to finish out his career with a potential chance at a Gagarin Cup in the KHL.

Other UFAs: F Derek Stepan, F Micheal Haley, F Matthew Peca, D Cody Goloubef

Projected Cap Space

The Senators, predictably, have a large amount of cap space entering the offseason. Even with $28.5MM in room and a small list of players to re-sign, the Senators will likely stay true to their youth movement and corresponding rebuild this offseason. It’s unlikely that the team will be huge players on the free-agent market, but could still potentially use that cap space to acquire some assets by relieving cap-strapped teams of hefty contracts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

North Notes: Tkachuk, Batherson, Sandin, Oilers, Danault

May 8, 2021 at 12:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

Senators winger Brady Tkachuk is leaning towards declining an invitation to play for Team USA at the upcoming World Championships, suggests Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. While he would undoubtedly be a key player for them, he is a pending restricted free agent, something that he acknowledged could be a factor in him taking a pass if he goes that route:

I haven’t made a full decision yet but it’s always an honour to represent your country and play for the guys who paved the way and USA Hockey. We’ll have to see but it’s definitely a different set of circumstances here, especially with the things going on this summer.

Tkachuk isn’t the only one leaning towards taking a pass for that reason either as Garrioch adds that winger Drake Batherson is doubtful to suit up for Canada with his restricted free agency on the horizon. While Tkachuk is expected to land a substantial raise this summer no matter what, Batherson’s case is a bit murkier as while he has played well this year with 33 points in 53 games, it’s his only full NHL season thus far.

Senators Notes: Tkachuk, World Championships, Stutzle

May 1, 2021 at 2:45 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Senators winger Brady Tkachuk is by far Ottawa’s most prominent restricted free agent heading into the summer. He leads the team in scoring with 34 points in 50 games and is second in the league in hits with 215, making him a core piece of their puzzle as they expected when they selected him fourth overall in 2018. Postmedia’s Ken Warren examines some of the comparable contracts around the league in terms of impact RFAs coming off of their entry-level deals and notes that the deal his brother Matthew signed with Calgary (three years, $21MM) may be one of the more interesting comparisons out there both in terms of their style of play and comparable production (after factoring in extrapolations for the last two shortened seasons). Ottawa has shown that they’re willing to give a max-term deal as they did for defenseman Thomas Chabot but the cap climate has changed since then. Regardless of which way they go, Tkachuk is in for a significant increase on his $925K base salary (which includes his signing bonus for the season).

Snapshots: Tkachuk, Provorov, Hutton, Pastrnak

January 20, 2021 at 8:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 7 Comments

Although his entry-level contract expires after this season, Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators are not rushing into contract talks. Tkachuk spoke with the media on Wednesday, including The Ottawa Sun’s Ken Warren, and stated that he was happy with the club and not worried about negotiating an extension. “We’re not really talking about (a new contract),” Tkachuk said, “I don’t think that’s the focus for both sides. Our goal right now is to do everything we can to make the playoffs.” Neither side really has much to worry about anyhow. Tkachuk has continually stated that he enjoys playing for the team and living in Ottawa and seems committed to a long-term future with the Senators. And with more than $34MM in projected cap space for next season and few existing long-term contracts to worry about, the club should have no problem giving their young centerpiece whatever he wants in order to ensure a lengthy extension of their relationship.

No league discipline is coming for Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov in regards to a net front collision that injured Buffalo Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton on Tuesday. The play in question did look like it was at least partially caused by Hutton’s teammate, Brandon Montour, and there is not nearly enough evidence for NHL Player Safety to state that Provorov was definitively at fault. That hasn’t stopped Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger from publicly stating his disappointment with the situation, though. Krueger tells The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor that Provorov’s actions were purposeful: “if you look at the way the elbow comes extended, you know what you’re doing.” Krueger believes his team has already been the victims of several bad hits to the head so far this season and is clearly to get some extra attention for the next time such a situation arises. Hutton continued on in the game following the collision, but did not return after the second intermission and is currently questionable for the Sabres’ next game.
The Boston Bruins’ scoring woes are one of the early season’s biggest stories, but help is on the way. NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin writes that David Pastrnak is ahead of schedule in his recovery from off-season hip surgery. Initially expected to return around mid-February, Pastrnak has already re-joined practice as a non-contact participant. Head coach Bruce Cassidy now expects that he could return to action as early as late next week. The reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner will be a welcome addition to a team that has yet to produce an even strength goal through three games.

Senators Notes: Captains, Camp Roster, Brassard, Brannstrom

January 2, 2021 at 12:07 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Senators have wasted little time determining their leadership group, announcing (via Twitter) that they will go without a captain and go with three alternates again this season. It’s a brand-new trio from the ones that started the season in that role last year as all three departed either via trade or free agency. Wearing the ‘A’ this season will be defensemen Thomas Chabot and Erik Gudbranson as well as winger Brady Tkachuk. Chabot and Tkachuk are core pieces of Ottawa’s rebuild while Gudbranson, an Ottawa native, was acquired from Anaheim in the offseason. The team has not had a full-time captain since trading Erik Karlsson to San Jose back in 2018.

2020 King Clancy Trophy Nominees Announced

July 27, 2020 at 3:20 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

The NHL has announced the 31 nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last year’s winner was Jason Zucker of the Minnesota Wild.

Each team submits one nominee. This year’s are:

Anaheim: Cam Fowler

Arizona: Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Boston: Patrice Bergeron

Buffalo: Jack Eichel

Calgary: Travis Hamonic

Carolina: Jordan Staal

Chicago: Jonathan Toews

Colorado: Gabriel Landeskog

Columbus: Cam Atkinson

Dallas: Tyler Seguin

Detroit: Justin Abdelkader