A major clue about Brady Tkachuk's replacement has emerged in Ottawa

Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios held a press conference this morning, and his phone kept ringing during it.

Reporter Nicolas Cloutier of TVA noted on X that Staios's cell went off live on camera, a small moment that said something loud: his 9th and 25th overall picks are generating serious interest from other teams right now.

"Steve Staios' cell phone rang right in the middle of the press conference. It was a funny moment that gives us an idea of how many calls he's getting right now for his 9th and 25th selections."

- Nicolas Cloutier

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Cloutier followed that up minutes later with another post saying Staios doesn't appear to have any intention of using that 9th overall selection to draft.

"Staios does not seem to have any intention of using his ninth-overall pick".

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That's trade bait. And it lines up directly with a Bruce Garrioch report in the Ottawa Citizen this morning stating the Senators plan to ramp up their push to acquire Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks.

McTavish just wrapped his age-23 season with Anaheim posting 41 points in 75 games. He went minus-15 on a Ducks team that finished 43-33-6 and gave up 287 goals against.

The underlying talent is real. The situation around him in Anaheim hasn't been.

McTavish adds center depth Ottawa desperately needs heading into next season

Ottawa finished 44-27-11 with 99 points this past season, good for 9th overall in the league. They scored 278 goals, allowed 246, and got swept out of the first round by Carolina.

The Senators beat Anaheim twice this season, 3-2 in November and 2-0 at home in March. Staios knows exactly what McTavish looks like in person.

At $7 million against the cap through next season, McTavish isn't cheap. But Ottawa has the picks to make something happen, and it's clear Staios is willing to move assets rather than sit on them.