Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk had to address rumors about his future again. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets must find a way to bounce back from a disappointing 2025-26.
The Ottawa Senators' first-round exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs sparked speculation over their off-season plans, with most of the attention focused on team captain Brady Tkachuk.
Trade rumors have dogged Tkachuk since last summer. The trade chatter has been largely based on pundits examining the 26-year-old power forward's body language and parsing his comments to glean any sign of unhappiness that might suggest he wants out of Ottawa.
Tkachuk has previously dismissed those rumors, calling them lies. On Monday, Senators GM Steve Staios dismissed the conjecture as nonsense.
Nevertheless, David Dwork of The Hockey News believed the Florida Panthers would be among the potential suitors if the Tkachuk rumors are true, suggesting they'd love to unite him with brother Matthew as a force that could push them back into Stanley Cup contenders. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press felt Tkachuk would be a perfect fit with the Detroit Red Wings.
On Wednesday, Tkachuk had to deny again that he's never sought a trade, that no other teams have attempted to acquire him. He reiterated that he's always believed in the Senators and the city of Ottawa, that the city has always been good to him, and that he remains fully committed to both.
Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan reminded everyone that Tkachuk has two years left on his contract with a full no-movement clause that gives him full control over his situation. However, he thinks the trade rumors will continue until contract extension talks begin next July between Senators management and the Tkachuk camp.
Shifting our gaze westward to the Winnipeg Jets, Murat Ates of The Athletic recently examined how they declined into a "mushy middle" team (too good to tank, too flawed to win) and how they might get out of their predicament.
One option suggested by Ates would be trading a core player such as goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, left winger Kyle Connor, center Mark Scheifele or defenseman Josh Morrissey. One of those players could fetch a return that helped the Jets now and over the long term.
Ates also believed the Jets must acquire a reliable second-line center. He suggested pursuing an affordable young player stuck in a third-line role, such as Mavrik Bourque of the Dallas Stars or Peyton Krebs of the Buffalo Sabres.
Another option would be pursuing a young forward who lacks no-trade protection. Those could include Connor Zary of the Calgary Flames, Ridly Greig of the Senators or Emmitt Finnie of the Red Wings.
It's doubtful the Jets will move a core player unless one of them requests a trade. Shopping for an affordable young second-line center seems a more likely course of action, though prying one away from a rival club could come at the cost of one or two of the Jets' future assets.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.