Senators VP makes his feelings known about captain Brady Tkachuk’s growth as a leader following 4 Nations

Ottawa Senators senior vice president of hockey operations Dave Poulin was all praise for team captain Brady Tkachuk. During an interview on TSN’s “First Up” podcast on Friday, Poulin spoke about Tkachuk’s leadership and the Senators’ five-game win streak.

"I had a front-row seat to watch Brady develop because I covered several of his games on the panel and from between the benches. From his rookie year, I could see firsthand how he impacted the game,” Poulin said.

“This is a young man who’s a special leader, and I think he brought something different home from the Four Nations. He’s been to All-Star Games before, but those have a different feel. This tournament was on another level…He was rubbing shoulders with the best in the world, both as teammates and opponents. It’s not just about what you learn in your own locker room, but also what you pick up from the competition.”

Poulin also pointed to the youth of the Senators roster, saying “Brady Tkachuk feels like the old guy at 25.” He lauded Tkachuk’s leadership role with the team as well.

“He’s (Tkachuk) been around players who’ve won Stanley Cups and seen their confidence firsthand. He’s already a confident young man, but the way he’s brought his leadership back after this tournament - it’s clear he’s taken another step forward.”

The Senators won a fifth straight game on Thursday, beating the Boston Bruins 6-3. Drake Batherson scored two goals and had an assist, Ridley Greig and Shane Pinto had a goal and assist each and Tyler Kleven and Claude Giroux scored one goal apiece for the Senators.

Goalie Linus Ullmark made 22 saves, one of them a spectacular diving effort to deny Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei late in the second period with the score at 5-2.

Brady Tkachuk on an eight-game point streak

Brady Tkachuk had an assist during Thursday’s game against the Bruins, which meant he is on an eight-game point streak, comprising seven goals and two assists.

He also crossed the 400 NHL career point milestone during the Senators’ 5-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. Tkachuk scored the opening goal of the game with only 24 seconds on the clock in the first period.

On Thursday, Tkachuk didn’t play until the end after reportedly tweaking his hip. However, Senators coach Travis Green told the media that the Senators captain is expected to take the ice for the “Battle of Ontario” against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.