Friedman just dropped a huge update on Brady Tkachuk's future with the Sens
Senators fans, breathe out. Elliotte Friedman just said the Brady Tkachuk trade rumors are not going anywhere unless Ottawa gets backed into a corner this summer.
The veteran insider went on Oilers Now and made the read clear. Steve Staios is not shopping his captain. Not exploring offers. Not floating quiet trial balloons.
The Senators GM is sitting on the player and waiting.
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That's a real shift in tone after a first-round sweep. Ottawa was wiped out 4-0 by Carolina.
Tkachuk went pointless across the series with a -4 rating. The captain who carried the regular season went silent when the round started.
The 26-year-old American sits on a $8.2 million ticket and finished the regular season with 59 points in 60 games.
Those are top-six numbers on a team that finished 99 points and ninth overall. Not the resume of a player you sell at the bottom of his market value.
Friedman's read is the part that matters. Ottawa is not forced. The cap fits. The contract is favorable. The room still respects the C on his sweater. Why move a 26-year-old captain because he had four bad games?
What could actually force Staios to flip his stance
The phrase Friedman used was "backed into a corner." That's a specific kind of pressure.
Either Tkachuk himself asks out or another star demands a move that requires the Senators to clear the cap to keep him.
Neither has happened yet. Ridly Greig has a hearing on May 4 that could carry over to next season.
Drake Batherson finished the playoff series with 4 points and a -3. Thomas Chabot was -6 on the back end. The roster has cracks. The captain is not one of them.
Travis Green coaches a team that needs identity, not a fire sale. The Senators head coach kept Ottawa in playoff position all season.
Trading the franchise face to a rival market would undo two years of culture work.
The other angle is contract pressure. Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, and Dylan Cozens are all locked in long-term.
The cap math doesn't currently demand a Tkachuk move. That can change with one offer sheet next summer that Staios doesn't want to match.
For now, Friedman's reporting closes the door. Ottawa keeps its captain. The summer in the capital just got quieter than expected.
If somebody forces the issue, it gets loud fast.
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APRIL 30, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Quinn Hughes | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Matthew Boldy | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Cutter Gauthier | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mavrik Bourque | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Wyatt Johnston | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Chris Kreider | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Connor McDavid | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Connor Murphy | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ryan Poehling | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Vladimir Tarasenko | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Michael Bunting | - | 1 | 1 | |
| John Carlson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Leo Carlsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Colton Dach | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Matt Duchene | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brock Faber | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Marcus Foligno | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jackson Lacombe | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ilya Lyubushkin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mason McTavish | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||