With Brady Tkachuk gone, the Ottawa Senators find themselves without a captain for the first time since 2020-21. And while Tim Stutzle could end up getting the 'C', he said replacing Tkachuk's leadership in the dressing room will not be easy.
Two months have passed since Brady Tkachuk stunned the hockey world and orchestrated a trade from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers. And Tim Stutzle, who spent six seasons as Tkachuk's teammate and closest friend, said he is still "surprised" that the longtime captain is actually gone for good.
"I feel like you’re always surprised over a big move like that," Stutzle told The Hockey News' David Alter during the NHL/NHLPA European Player Media Tour in Munich on Friday.
"Yeah, we’re going to miss him, but at the end of the day we have to focus on what’s ahead and what we have in Ottawa. We have a lot of guys who love being in Ottawa — and I’m sure he did too. It was just time for him to move on and we’ve got to accept that."
Tkachuk, who Ottawa selected with the fourth-overall pick in 2018, was traded to Florida on June 21 in exchange for the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, as well as a conditional first-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. The Senators then flipped the No. 9 pick to the San Jose Sharks for forward William Eklund and selected Jonas Lgerberg-Hoen with the No. 25 pick.
"I want to thank 'Chucky' for what he’s done for me, for my teammates," said Stutzle. "He took me in when I was younger and did everything in a possible way to make me feel welcome and he was always a good teammate and obviously a really, really good player."
With Tkachuk gone, the Senators are without a captain for the first time since 2020-21. And while Stutzle could end up getting the 'C', he said replacing Tkachuk's leadership in the dressing room will not be easy.
"We’re going to miss that aspect, for sure," he said. "And he was also a good leader. He got the captaincy when he was young, which is not always easy. I think it helped him that we had a good leadership around him too."
Simply put, there is no replacing Tkachuk, who aside from his 22 goals and 59 points last season, was the team's emotional heartbeat. He was not only a skilled player, but also a feared physical presence who dragged the Senators into the fight on a nightly basis.
That being said, Stutzle believes that the new additions that GM Steve Staios brought in this summer — in addition to Eklund, the team also acquired forward Andre Burakovsky and goalie Samuel Ersson — will keep the Senators, who have qualified for the playoffs in back-to-back years, competitive.
"Obviously, the players speak for themselves," said Stutzle. "With Ekky (who is 23 years old and scored 15 goals and 53 points in San Jose last season), we're getting a guy who’s young and who’s kind of our age, I think he’s going to fit in really well. And Burakovsky and Ersson, obviously great players too and we’re really excited to have them and try to make it as easy for them to come to a new team and we’ll try to help them out at the start. I think they’ll figure it out themselves.
"I think our team is on the right path. We’re still really young, obviously … and I strongly believe in this group. I’ve always said that and that hasn’t changed. I’m excited to be in Ottawa and I’m excited to see all the guys and work for the same goal."
