Elliotte Friedman makes his feelings known about Brady Tkachuk to New York Rangers trade rumors

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman spoke about Brady Tkachuk and his trade rumors on the Dec. 7 Saturday Headlines. He addressed speculation linking the Ottawa Senators captain to the New York Rangers, dismissing the idea of a trade.

Friedman highlighted Tkachuk’s long-term contract, which keeps him with Ottawa through the 2027-28 season. Signed in October 2021, the deal is worth $57.5 million with an annual cap hit of $8.2 million. Friedman said that the Senators are confident that Tkachuk will stay for the duration of his contract despite the rumors.

"Brady Tkachuk is signed for three more seasons, and I think Senators very, very confident that that is going to play out to the full end of the contract." Friedman said.

"The Senators and their fans are probably just going to have to live with some noise. That is the way it goes."

Friedman said that rumors like this often arise when a team struggles to make the playoffs. However, he added that Ottawa believes Tkachuk wants to remain with the team.

"Whenever a team battles to try to get into the playoffs and doesn't get there, there's always going to be questions about it - is this player going to be happy or this player not going to be happy?" Friedman said.

"And I don't think the Senators can respond to every rumor, but I do think the overall feeling is they're very confident that he's going to want to stay."

Tkachuk remains a key player for Ottawa, and despite the rumors, the team appears committed to keeping their captain.

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Brady Tkachuk shines amid Senators struggles with consistency

Brady Tkachuk has had a strong season, with 13 goals and 29 points in 25 games. He has been effective on the power play, contributing 11 points, and has also delivered physically with nearly 100 hits and 50 penalty minutes.

Despite his efforts, the Senators are 12-12-2 and fifth in the Atlantic Division with 26 points. They trail the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have 28 points, and the division-leading Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, who have 36 and 34 points, respectively.

Recently, Brady Tkachuk’s production has slowed down. He had only one assist in the wins over Detroit and Nashville. However, he was a standout in last Sunday’s shootout loss to Anaheim, scoring two goals on 12 shots and blocking two shots.

The Senators have won four of their last five games but have struggled to maintain consistency this season.