Brady Tkachuk traded to Minnesota for a surprising player in jaw-dropping proposal

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David St-Jean
May 27, 2026  (7:45 PM)

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Photo credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

Brady Tkachuk surfaced in a Jesper Wallstedt rumor Wednesday, and the Senators reportedly walked away after the Wild floated a name they refused to touch.

The report from The Mug NHL, citing Bruce Garrioch and credited to Puck Empire, says Ottawa kicked the tires on the 23-year-old Swedish goaltender. Minnesota came back asking for the Senators captain.

That is not a counter-offer. That is a polite no dressed up in trade language.

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Tkachuk just wrapped a 60-game season with 22 goals and 37 assists for 59 points. He carries an $8.205 million cap hit and wears the C in Ottawa.

You don't trade that player for a goalie prospect. Steve Staios knows it. Bill Guerin knows it too, which is why he asked.

Wallstedt put up a .915 save percentage and four shutouts in 35 NHL games this season, splitting work behind Filip Gustavsson. The 23-year-old still carries a $2.2 million cap hit and real long-term upside.

Ottawa already has Linus Ullmark locked in at $8.25 million with a .890 save percentage across 49 starts. Leevi Merilainen sits behind him on a $1.05 million deal. The crease is full.

So why even ask about Wallstedt? Because Ullmark's number alone tells you Travis Green's group needs another option, and Merilainen's .859 in 20 games is not the answer.

The Senators finished 44-27-11 with 99 points, ninth overall, on the back of a +32 goal differential. They were 23-12-6 at home and 21-15-5 on the road.

Minnesota landed at 46-24-12 for 104 points, seventh overall. Both teams played a competitive season, and the Wild swept the head-to-head 2-0, including a 4-1 win in Ottawa on April 4.

That history matters here. Guerin is not negotiating from weakness, and the price he set on Wallstedt was designed to end the conversation before it started.

Ottawa's captain is not moving for a goalie with 45 career NHL appearances, no matter how nice the .915 looks. The asking price was a wall, not a starting point.

What this really tells us is that Staios is hunting goaltending help this summer, and the market knows it. Expect more names. Expect cheaper ones.

Previously

Stan Bowman reveals bigger plans for long-term signed forward

Big surprise for the Montreal Canadiens involving a goalie before Game 4

Cale Makar's next season debut may already be in serious jeopardy

POLL

2 HOURS AGO   |   94 ANSWERS Brady Tkachuk traded to Minnesota for a surprising player in jaw-dropping proposal Should Ottawa even consider moving Brady Tkachuk for a young goalie like Jesper Wallstedt?

▢    Yes

▢    No

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