The Ottawa Senators start the 2026-27 NHL season without Brady Tkachuk, who was traded to the Florida Panthers on June 21 after requesting a trade. The former captain had led Ottawa since 2021-22, and his departure is a big shift for a team that reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in back-to-back seasons.Now, Tim Stutzle is one of Ottawa’s top players and a potential future captain; he has had his say. The 24-year-old center said on the European Player Media Tour that Tkachuk will be missed, but the Senators can’t continue to think about the trade.
Did Tim Stutzle question Brady Tkachuk’s Ottawa Senators commitment?
Tim Stutzle didn’t directly criticise Brady Tkachuk, but things he’s said about Ottawa players wanting to stay with the team have led to questions about whether he was making a broader point about commitment.Stutzle called Tkachuk a “great teammate,” a “great hockey player,” but said Ottawa has to “move on” and focus on what it has now. “We’ve got a lot of players that want to be in Ottawa and feel like we can continue to get better as a team,” he said.That’s an important distinction. It’s not clear Stutzle was taking a shot at Tkachuk with the comment. His comments can be viewed more as an effort to set a forward-looking tone after a big change in the offseason.Stutzle’s comments are important because he is expected to take on a bigger leadership role with Tkachuk gone.The German center racked up 83 points in 80 games last season, including 34 goals and 49 assists, while also improving his defensive responsibilities. Ottawa will now look to his production and leadership as the team aims to make the playoffs for a third straight season.Tkachuk’s exit also leaves Ottawa without a captain for the first time since 2020-21. Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot and Claude Giroux are among those who could help fill that leadership vacuum.
What did Brady Tkachuk’s trade mean for the Ottawa Senators?
The Ottawa Senators traded Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for the No. 9 and No. 25 selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in 2027 and a conditional first-round pick in 2029. Ottawa later used one of its acquired assets to acquire William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks.The Senators also added William Eklund, Andre Burakovsky and Samuel Ersson in the summer, a sign that management isn’t planning to rebuild just because its captain has left.General manager Steve Staios said earlier that the organization didn’t plan to take a step back after the trade. Ottawa is focusing on the roster they have, not the one they don’t, which is the message Stutzle has been sending out lately.It would be a stretch to say Stutzle’s comments were a direct shot at Tkachuk at this point. What is clear is that Stutzle wants the Ottawa Senators to establish a new identity, stay committed internally and chase another NHL playoff appearance without dwelling on the past.