Senators GM Steve Staios shoots down Brady Tkachuk trade speculation, and what’s next for the Kings in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
LATEST ON THE SENATORS
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators general manager Steve Staios dismissed speculation suggesting team captain Brady Tkachuk should be traded.
Despite the Senators getting swept from the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Staios has no intention of sitting down with Tkachuk to discuss his future.
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).
“This comes up very often. There’s nothing that we have talked about or thought about where that conversation should happen,” Staios said. He praised Tkachuk’s performance as he persevered through a thumb injury earlier this season and a compressed schedule because of the Winter Olympics. Staios believes the 27-year-old winger’s game continues to improve, on and off the ice.
Tkachuk has two more years left on his contract with a full no-movement clause. Garrioch believes there is no reason to trade him and expects the power forward to be back next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The trade speculation about Tkachuk began almost immediately after the Senators’ elimination. Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin was among the pundits suggesting Tkachuk’s relationship with Ottawa as a market was fraying, raising questions about whether he’ll commit to a contract extension next summer.
I’ve said before that I don’t believe Tkachuk will be going anywhere this summer, and I still believe that. However, Staios could be forced to consider moving his captain next summer if he’s reluctant to sign an extension. I think he knows that and will do what he can to improve the Senators, in hopes of convincing Tkachuk to stay beyond 2028.
Garrioch reports Staios and head coach Travis Green are already studying ways to improve the Senators’ roster for next season.
The Senators have been searching for a top-six scorer since last season. Getting a high-end free agent to sign with Ottawa is tough, and the asking prices are high in the trade market. Staios might have to move one of his core players or a top prospect to get a high-end player.
THE ATHLETIC: Julian McKenzie reports Staios will keep his options open for a backup goaltender to starter Linus Ullmark, including adding a goalie who can play in the NHL or AHL.
Staios could also add to his defense corps. Rookie Carter Yakemchuk was given opportunities to play regular-season and playoff minutes, but there’s no certainty he’ll get a roster spot next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Finding a suitable backup goalie and adding to the defense could be easier for Staios than landing a top-six scorer. Addressing the latter will likely have to be done in the trade market, and it will likely mean parting with a core player other than Tkachuk, Ullmark, leading scorer Tim Stutzle, defenseman Jake Sanderson, or winger Drake Batherson. It could mean peddling Dylan Cozens or Shane Pinto.
What say you, Senators fans? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE KINGS?
THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens believes it’s time for the Los Angeles Kings to change what they’ve been doing after they were swept from the opening round of the playoffs for the fifth straight year, especially with long-time captain Anze Kopitar having played his final NHL game.
Stephens believes a new head coach is coming, despite interim coach D.J. Smith doing an admirable job to get them into the playoffs. They have only three forwards (Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin, and Kevin Fiala) capable of producing consistently.
The Kings could attempt to trade to make another big splash for a scorer, as they did with Panarin. They could kick tires on St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas, Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson, or Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews if he is determined to move on after a disastrous season in Toronto.
However, Stephens believes the best course of action is to embrace a rebuild. He recommends they jettison expensive veterans and follow the model of the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stephens isn’t wrong; the Kings should rebuild now that Kopitar is retired and long-time defenseman Drew Doughty will soon follow him. However, it’s unlikely that general manager Ken Holland will go that route.
Holland wasn’t brought in to rebuild the Kings; he was brought in to turn them into a Cup contender, and he’s going to hunt high and low for veteran players to get them over the hump, even if that goal seems less attainable than it was a year ago.