Senators GM addresses Brady Tkachuk trade rumors as team's playoff chances look bleak

Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios recently broke his silence about the speculation surrounding captain Brady Tkachuk's potential trade.

With the trade deadline coming up on Mar. 8 and the way the season has been going for the Sens, there has been talk on social media about the GM considering options to trade Tkachuk.

However, on Wednesday, Staios told TSN's Pierre LeBrun and Ryan Rishaug that there's no truth to the rumors. Staios made it clear that the team is building around Tkachuk because of the type of person, player and leader he is:

"That could not be further from the truth," Staios told the Got Yer Back podcast with TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun and Ryan Rishaug. "I don't follow on social media. Our communications people alert me to things like that. There's obviously no truth to that.

"We're building this team around Brady Tkachuk and the type of person and the type of player and the type of leader that he is. Certainly, Brady is the leader that we need in this room. He is everything as advertised, and I'm just looking to do my best to support him."

According to reports, the Ottawa Senators appear to be busy sellers during the trade deadline. However, Staios' statement suggests that Tkachuk is not the player the club is looking to move on.

Brady Tkachuk was drafted No. 4 overall by the Senators in the 2018 draft. The 24-year-old is inked to a seven-year, $57.5 million contract signed with the Sens in 2021, the same year he was named the captain.

The Ottawa Senators are yet to make a playoff appearance since they drafted Tkachuk. They last made the playoffs in 2016-17, so it will likely be another year without playoff hockey for the Sens.

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What's next for Brady Tkachuk and Ottawa Senators?

Ottawa Senators vs Washington Capitals

With 50 points (26 goals, 24 assists), Tkachuk is the Sens' third-leading scorer this season, after 57 games. The Ottawa Senators are coming off heavy defeats to the Washington Capitals (6-3) and Nashville Predators (4-1) in their last two games.

The club is 5-4-1 in their last 10 outings as they find themselves languishing at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with 53 points (25-29-3). When it comes to the wild card standings, the Sens are ninth, 16 points behind the second-placed Tampa Bay Lightning from the East.

Brady Tkachuk and the Senators next face the Arizona Coyotes on Friday.