Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk hit a couple of impressive franchise milestones on Tuesday night in the Senators' 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

His first goal, just seconds into the game, moved him into fourth place on the Senators' all-time goals list and sixth in all-time points. That’s a remarkable feat for a 25-year-old on a 33-year-old franchise.

If Tkachuk retired today, you could make a strong argument he's already done enough to have his No. 7 jersey retired by the organization.

That said, when it comes to catching Hall of Fame captain Daniel Alfredsson, he still has a long way to go. With 189 goals, Tkachuk isn’t even halfway to Alfredsson’s franchise-record 426. And with 400 career points after Tuesday night’s goal, he still sits 708 points shy of Alfredsson’s all-time mark.

Of course, it will ultimately come down to Tkachuk's willingness to stay in Ottawa long-term. Alfredsson spent 17 seasons in the nation’s capital—will Tkachuk follow suit? He has three years remaining on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time in the summer of 2028.

On one hand, at the Four Nations Faceoff last month, it became evident (if it wasn't already) how much he’d cherish playing alongside his brother, Matthew, someday.

But at the same time, after Saturday's victory over the New York Rangers, the mutual love between Tkachuk and the Ottawa fanbase was easy to see. In an interview with TSN's Claire Hanna, Tkachuk seemed genuinely touched and overwhelmed by his fans' support.

Naturally, no one knows what the long range future holds. A lot of it will depend on the level of team success over the next couple of years. The Sens will need to become true contenders if Tkachuk is to forego putting himself out there for a very well-attended UFA auction. 

For the short-term, Sens fans are enjoying the ride and feeling the early symptoms of playoff fever, a condition that's been dormant in Ottawa since 2017.

And for Tkachuk, to already be among the franchise greats is a testament to his impact - another red, white and black feather in his cap.

By Steve Warne
Site Editor
The Hockey News Ottawa

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