The Biggest Differences Between Brady Tkachuk’s Return & John Tavares Return

If you can believe it's been that long, John Tavares left the New York Islanders via free agency eight years ago via free agency to return home to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In those eight years, things have worked out quite well for the Islanders, while things did not go anywhere near how people envisioned for Toronto.

Eight years later, the NHL is a very different place. The fallout from Tavares' departure, coupled with Artemi Panarin's free agency the following year, has become crystal clear.

Teams no longer put themselves in the spot the Islanders did. If a superstar is on an expiring contract, teams are finding out two summers ahead of time if an extension is going to happen or not.

Brady Tkachuk, who becomes a free agent in 2029, told the Ottawa Senators after the 2025-26 season that he would not extend his contract.

The Senators quietly then put together a blockbuster trade with the Florida Panthers, the only team Brady would accept a trade to.

Ottawa acquired three first-round picks and one second-round pick in the trade. They immediately used one of the picks to acquire William Eklund, an established young NHL winger with production to replace Tkachuk.

Still, despite getting a massive haul in return, the Senators and their fans circled Wednesday, October 21 on their calendar. That's the day Tkachuk would return to Ottawa.

That day came Wednesday night, and it's the closest thing to what the Islanders and their fans did to Tavares and the Maple Leafs back in the winter of 2019.

Just like the Islanders and Maple Leafs' game back in 2019, it started with the road team scoring. 

Unlike Tavares, who did not post a point in his return game, Tkachuk scored the game's opening goal.

Ottawa then began to steam roll the Panthers. Before the night ended, the score read 5-1 Senators.

It was a cathartic night for the Senators and their fans. They reveled in letting Tkachuk, who publicly declared loyalty to Ottawa, hear about what his secret trade request meant to them.

Therein lies the biggest difference between the Senators' situation and the Islanders' back in 2018-19.

Ottawa landed three premium assets and replenished their roster. They've got a strong core on paper anyway, led by Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot.

The Islanders got nothing. Tavares said nothing but that he wanted to be an Islander, only to walk out the door for nothing.

The Islanders had Calder Trophy winner Mathew Barzal, but when the season began, they were the odds-on favorite to finish last in the entire NHL.

Lou Lamoriello, Barry Trotz, and the whole 2018-19 Islanders' squad proved everyone wrong, but at the time, it felt like Tavares' decision to leave doomed the Islanders for a decade.

Ottawa's ability to gain assets for Tkachuk can be traced back to Tavares leaving Long Island.

It changed the game. Teams no longer trust the public word of their players. Teams don't want to be the next Islanders, the team that believed its star would stay. 

That's the biggest difference between the Senators and the Islanders.