Greg WyshynskiApr 29, 2026, 12:28 PM ETCloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.Follow on XMultiple Authors
Hurricanes sweep Senators with 4-2 win (1:19)Hurricanes score three goals in the second half to down the Senators 4-2 and sweep the series. (1:19)
Brady Tkachuk said the constant trade rumors involving him have become a “distraction” for the Ottawa Senators captain.
“I feel like I’ve answered this hundreds of times. Quite honestly, it’s just getting frustrating. It’s becoming a distraction. I have been fully committed to this team, to this city. It’s just becoming frustrating to deal with,” Tkachuk said in his postseason news conference.
Tkachuk has played all NHL eight seasons in Ottawa, which drafted him fourth overall in 2018. He has two more years left on a seven-year contract that carries an $8,205,714 salary cap hit and has a full no-movement clause. Tkachuk is eligible to sign a contract extension in summer 2027.
“I don’t get why it’s a consistent thing. It’s happened so many times personally, and it’s frustrating to have to answer to something that’s never been spoken out of my mouth or the team’s mouth,” he said.
Tkachuk, 26, said he plans on having a postseason meeting with GM Steve Staios to discuss what the team needs to do to improve as well as what Tkachuk can do better.
“I don’t think anybody is more frustrated with how everything went than me,” Tkachuk said. “At the end of the day, I didn’t play good enough. I tried everything I could to get my game going, but nothing was going in. Nothing was going my way.”
Tkachuk praised his team for how it played through adversity throughout the season. Ottawa had the third-best points percentage (.720) in the NHL after the Olympic break. Tkachuk helped Team USA win gold in Milan during that break.
“Everything is very dampened by how the playoffs went, but there was a lot that we dealt with as a group and handled that adversity,” he said.
Tkachuk, who welcomed a newborn daughter named Lyla with his wife Emma this week, ended his availability with a message to Senators fans.
“I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support that you guys had for our team, myself, my family, all year. I really wish we could be playing for you guys still,” he said. “You guys brought so much energy, so much joy to our team that it makes it sting [more].”
Hurricanes sweep Senators with 4-2 win (1:19)Hurricanes score three goals in the second half to down the Senators 4-2 and sweep the series. (1:19)
Hurricanes score three goals in the second half to down the Senators 4-2 and sweep the series. (1:19)
Greg WyshynskiApr 29, 2026, 12:28 PM ETCloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.Follow on X