Senators’ Steve Staios confirms Brady Tkachuk requested a trade
While many speculated it to be true, a person involved in the situation has confirmed it.
When speaking to the media on Monday, Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios was asked about what led to the team trading captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers.
Staios gave a very blunt answer.
“A trade request.”
The team completed the deal with its Atlantic Division rival on Sunday, sending Tkachuk to South Florida and giving him the chance to play with his brother Matthew on a team that recently won back-to-back Stanley Cups. In exchange, the Senators received four draft picks, including two in the first round of this Friday’s draft.
Staios admitted that he wanted to find a way to keep Tkachuk on board for the long haul, but the Scottsdale, Ariz. native’s mentality changed over the past season, leading to his desire to move.
“I could see that Brady was a different player compared to the year before,” Staios explained. “I wasn’t overly surprised [at the request]. I would’ve liked to have found a way forward, but that wasn’t the case.”
According to multiple reports, the Panthers were one of four teams that Tkachuk was willing to waive his no-move clause for, with the Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes the other teams he was interested in. Staios added that, by the time the weekend came around, the Panthers were the clear destination for Tkachuk.
“It was clearly pointed at one team at the end. I feel comfortable with the return given the circumstances.”
Staios was sure to thank Brady and his wife, Emma, for their contributions to the team and the community of Ottawa. He stated that the trade wasn’t made on ill terms.
“There was no animosity… I would have loved to see it through with Brady.”
In 572 games across seven seasons with the Sens, the 26-year-old has posted 213 goals and 250 assists for 463 points, with another seven points in 10 playoff contests.
Tkachuk has two more seasons on his seven-year contract that he signed in October 2021, with the deal carrying a cap hit of $8,205,714 through the 2027-28 campaign.