Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer spoke out about "blood being thicker than water" being the reason BradyTkachuk forced his way out of Ottawa. But there's something more attractive for NHLers – and that's winning.
Give Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer his due – he doesn’t shy away from media’s microphones and cameras. Andlauer speaks his mind, and in a hyper-managed communications world, it’s refreshing that he engages the public and makes clear his desire to bring a Stanley Cup championship to Canada’s capital.
Andlauer’s frankness was evident again when he spoke to The Athletic about Brady Tkachuk engineering his way out of Ottawa and to the Florida Panthers in one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the off-season.
"Blood is thicker than water, and let's just say that his father and his brother got in his kitchen," Andlauer said. “Ultimately, the decision was made to go and play with his brother. It's a decision that was out of our control to a certain degree. But you have to want to play for Ottawa.”
Was Andlauer wrong to say any of that? Not from this writer’s perspective. In fact, Andlauer absolutely should’ve given Senators fans his honest opinion. Who wouldn’t want their team owner to tell the truth about a painful situation?
The Sens did what they could to make Tkachuk comfortable. Ottawa was a team on the upswing with Tkachuk on board, but despite Senators GM Steve Staios’ quick reaction to losing Tkachuk – trading for San Jose Sharks left winger William Eklund – the sting of losing Tkachuk is going to last for some time.
But ultimately, you can make the argument that there’s something thicker than blood and water for NHL players – and that’s winning.
If the Senators had won more than two playoff games in the past nine seasons – if they’d gotten to the Eastern Conference final, the way the Montreal Canadiens just did – would Tkachuk still have been anxious to get out of Ottawa? We’d guess the answer to that question is no.
That said, in the NHL’s emerging age of player empowerment, there is little teams can do to prevent elite players from packing up and leaving, even when they’re in the midst of long-term contract extensions and other commitments. If a player has what they perceive to be leverage and personal reasons to get out of town, even winning may not be enough to keep them on their team.
Indeed, when it comes to leverage, some teams have decided they have it, and that’s what’s led them to take a hard line on trade demands from stars. That’s what the Winnipeg Jets and Detroit Red Wings are doing with stars Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin, respectively.
Larkin has yet to publicly discuss his trade demand, but at least he’s reported to training camp. Hellebuyck has chosen to go scorched-earth and not report to camp, and he's been indefinitely suspended.
There’s no one way to deal with unhappy campers, so expecting Andlauer and the Senators to have somehow salvaged Tkachuk’s relationship with the team and kept Tkachuk in Ottawa is unfair. Tkachuk wanted out, and bringing him back to sour the mood in the Sens’ dressing room could’ve been disastrous for the organization.
Unless the NHL returns to a system of players who are indentured servants, fans are going to have to come to terms with star players forcing their way out of town. But let’s also not forget that there’s only so much salary cap space and trade capital to go around, and that could be part of the reason why Hellebuyck and Larkin have yet to be dealt.
Younger star players coming up in the league won’t have the easy option of forcing their way to the Vegas Golden Knights or Colorado Avalanche. Then again, with news that the NHL’s cap ceiling will be rising from $104 million this season to possibly $127.5 million by the 2028-29 season, high-spending teams are going to have a financial lifeline thrown to them to stay competitive.
All of this is a small consolation to Andlauer and disappointed Senators fans. They got burned by Tkachuk, and they’re well within their rights to feel salty and point fingers at Matthew Tkachuk and Keith Tkachuk.
But the best revenge would be Ottawa taking steps forward as a team and winning a couple of playoff rounds. And really, wouldn’t the absolutely sweetest revenge be if the Sens eliminated the Panthers in the first or second round this year? Of course.
To truly stick it to Tkachuk, winning will do the trick. And if Andlauer’s team wins in spite of Tkachuk, Senators fans will be over the moon.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. 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.
