The Ottawa Senators have been in a state of mediocrity for over half a decade now. There has been no playoff hockey in Ottawa since 2017, a drought that has been extended to seven seasons after another failed 2023-24 campaign.
Ottawa has gone through a numerous amount of change this season, starting off with the sale of the franchise just before the season got underway. The change continued through the season, with the firing of both General Manager Pierre Dorion, and Head Coach D.J. Smith.
Some more franchise alerting changes could be on the way to the roster. According to St. Louis Blues hockey writer Jeremy Rutherford, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk's name is out there in trade talks.
The 24 year old, Brady Tkachuk led the Senators in scoring last season with 37 goals and 74 points in 81 games played. He has four years remaining on his deal, carrying a cap hit of $8,205,714. Tkachuk has no trade protection in his contract this season, meaning the Senators could move him to any team that provides the best return. However, if Ottawa waits until next season Tkachuk coul force the teams hand.
Ottawa is in desperate need of change, with the current core makeup of the roster not capable of taking the next step. It could be a very interesting summer with franchise altering decisions to be made.
