Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk did his part to calm the waters for the team on Wednesday, addressing the media at the Canadian Tire Centre after missing the official locker cleanout day due to the birth of his daughter, Lyla.
Tkachuk, 26, has two years remaining on his contract with the Senators, carrying a cap hit of $8.2 million US per season. Despite persistent speculation about his future, he made it clear he has no intention of playing elsewhere.
Frustration Over Questions
“I’ve never said (he wants to be traded), teams never said it, I’ve always believed in this team, I’ve always believed in playing for this city and the city’s always been good for me,” Tkachuk stated. He expressed frustration over the constant questioning, calling it a distraction.
“I feel like I’ve answered this hundreds of times. I feel like I’ve never said or shown none of those things and, quite honestly, it’s frustrating. It’s become a distraction. I have been fully committed to this team and this city and it’s become frustrating to deal with.”
Support from Management
Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios had previously dismissed trade talk regarding Tkachuk as “nonsense” during a Monday press conference. Tkachuk plans to speak with Staios in a couple of weeks about off-season changes.
“I wasn’t here for everybody’s meetings the other day, so I haven’t had the chance to talk to Steve,” Tkachuk said. “For me, I would talk to Steve when we have that conversation about where he views our team, what he thinks we need to improve on and what I need to improve on myself — not just as a player but as a captain. I’m excited to hear Steve’s thoughts and where he thinks we can improve.”
Extension Talk Premature
Tkachuk noted that he hasn’t given any thought to a contract extension, as it is still a year away. “I just think the extension talk is just a year away, so that’s something you physically cannot do any time soon,” he explained. His focus remains on the team’s improvements and his own development as a captain.
More to come…
