Brady Tkachuk is being shopped and Maple Leafs fans already know what he looks like beside Auston Matthews
Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
With the surprising news that Brady Tkachuk could be on the way out of Ottawa, so might there be a spot in Toronto next to fellow Olympian Auston Matthews?
Call it a rough playoffs for the Ottawa Senators to say the least. Not only were they eliminated swiftly by the Carolina Hurricanes, but they had absolutely zero production from the stars of their lineup like Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle.
For all the chirping that Tkachuk did all season regarding the Maple Leafs, even stretching back to last year — Auston Matthews and company have all east never been swept. That's surely going to give Tkachuk a lot to think about, and there are already questions about his fit going forward in the Senators lineup.
If he is on the outs, then no doubt there are several teams who would love to get their hands on Tkachuk, and if he's feeling salty about being one-upped by Toronto even though they're nowhere near the playoffs...it could lead to a 'can't beat 'em, then join 'em' mentality.
Tkachuk finished with zero points in a four game sweep and Ottawa may be ready to move on from their captain
Tkachuk and the Senators are very likely to explore trade options following new information from David Pagnotta, and the Maple Leafs' chance to make a gigantic splash this summer is staring them right in the face:
I think there's a good chance the Sens explore trading Brady Tkachuk this summer.
While it does sound a bit crazy to bring him in, there is more than enough reasons to justify it. First and foremost, bringing in a player so close to Auston Matthews and who can give him the protection needed is priority for keeping him around past 2028.
They won a gold medal, Tkachuk loves Matthews' leadership, and he would provide a deadly asset that already has a ton of chemistry behind it. Plus he just put up a horrible stat line in the playoffs and Ottawa may think they need to get a better postseason producer.
Then you have the fact he's just a darn good hockey player. If you want to boost Matthews' line, then adding Tkachuk would instantly give him the protection needed physically, but also the offensive and defensive help so he's not doing things on his own.
In 572 career games he has 463 points (213 goals, 250 assists) while also adding a staggering 1,921 hits and 821 PIM already in his career; you may hate him but you can't deny he's been a top player in the NHL for years now.
The Olympics already proved what Matthews looks like beside a Tkachuk type and the Maple Leafs new GM must find that player
Yes, you're probably thinking that Tkachuk would just cause a lot of tension considering how much hatred there is between not only Ottawa and Toronto but also the Canadian/US rivalry.
Though with how important it is to give Auston Matthews the proper players, pushing hard for Tkachuk would be the coup of the century. He instantly becomes Batman to Matthews' Gotham, perusing the rink with a keen eye ready to inflict justice at a moment's notice.
And we've seen how well they mesh together, they won an Olympic gold medal and the praise for Matthews by Tkachuk has been as steady as ever despite being a heated rival.
Matthews thrived this year in the Olympics because he had the right bodies beside him. It wasn't Max Domi, and it proved that Matthews for as good as he is, needs a star on his wing to really thrive — especially one as punishing as Tkachuk.
While it may be really difficult to pull Tkachuk away from the Senators, they could target other players like Tom Wilson; a guy who may be on the outs in Washington if they are going through a remodelling.
That, or they can try and trade for someone like Will Cuylle; a Toronto native who throws a billion hits and can give you 15-20 goals. If New York gets a good enough return, they may be willing to part ways.
Matthews needs bigger, badder guys around him to thrive. Brady Tkachuk fits the bill perfectly but it's going to take a miracle to bring him in. So settling for a guy who's the same on the ice and maybe a bit less abrasive off it is a good consolation prize.
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