Ottawa Senators GM makes his feelings extremely clear about Brady Tkachuk exhibiting his "emotional levels" via on-ice physicality

The Ottawa Senators are making progress under captain Brady Tkachuk toward ending their playoff drought, which has lasted since 2017. Heading into the Christmas break, the team held the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with an 18-14-2 record. They recently had a six-game winning streak, which ended with a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.

Captain Brady Tkachuk has been a key part of the Senators’ improvement this season. Known for his physical play and emotional energy, Tkachuk has faced criticism in the past for his on-ice intensity.

However, Senators General Manager Steve Staios believes Tkachuk’s leadership is crucial for the team’s success.

"The competitive is real on a nightly basis and consistent basis," Staios told NHL reporter Derek Van Diest. "That’s the one thing about his leadership quality that he brings it every single night."

"I think for him to be able to continue to grow as a leader, and you can see the maturity in his game. We thrive on his emotional levels. He’s learning on when and when not to be emotional and that’s all part of the maturation process of the individuals and also of the entire group."

By Tkachuk's emotional levels, Stois meant Tkachuk does not back down from fights during games. And if the team is losing, it's highly likely that he will try everything to win.

Earlier Ottawa Senators' coach defended Brady Tkachuk

Earlier this season, Brady Tkachuk was criticized after a loss to the Vancouver Canucks in November. In that game, with Ottawa trailing 4-1, Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Canucks forward Dakota Joshua. He received a game misconduct and racked up 21 penalty minutes. Fans were frustrated because it was the team’s fifth straight loss, and emotions were running high.

Senators coach Travis Green defended Tkachuk at the time, calling the criticism unfair.

“We're lucky to have this guy, for starters,” Green said. "He's a skilled hockey player, he's tough, he's mean, he cares passionately about winning, about winning in Ottawa and he's a very good hockey player.”

Green added that while Tkachuk isn’t perfect, every team would want a player like him.

"I don't think it's fair, the chatter. Is he going to make mistakes? Hell yeah. Every player does." He added.

After the loss to Vancouver, Ottawa’s record was 8-11-1. They have since gone 10-3-1, climbing into playoff contention.

Brady Tkachuk has contributed offensively, scoring 12 points, including 6 goals in the recent stretch. With a strong young core and improved performance, Ottawa is now in a promising position.