Brady Tkachuk calls out 'frustrating' trade rumors with questions on Senators' future: 'It's becoming a distraction' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As the Ottawa Senators enter their eighth offseason with Brady Tkachuk without a playoff series win, trade speculation continues to run rampant around the star left winger.
Tkachuk, 26, has remained with the Senators his entire NHL career thus far as the former No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
However, with his Ottawa squad falling in the first round of the playoffs for the second-straight season, Tkachuk spoke about his trade rumors on Wednesday, telling reporters that they've become a "distraction" as he's remained committed to the Senators.
Here's what Tkachuk said about his trade speculation and why he could be dealt this offseason.
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On Wednesday, with the Senators' 2025-26 season ending with 44 wins and a sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes in the first round, Tkachuk was asked about the upcoming offseason and his future in Ottawa.
"I feel like I've answered this hundreds of times. ... Quite honestly, it's just getting frustrating. It's becoming a distraction. I have been fully committed to this team, to this city. It's just becoming frustrating to deal with," Tkachuk said of the trade rumors surrounding him.
Brady Tkachuk clears the air about his future with the Senators, claiming that trade rumours are "becoming a distraction." pic.twitter.com/kwTMicmqrf
Per ESPN, Tkachuk also said that he didn't "get why [the trade speculation is] a consistent thing," and "it's frustrating to have to answer to something that's never been spoken out of my mouth or the team's mouth."
After posting 59 points over 60 games in the regular season, Tkachuk was held without a point in the four-game series against Carolina. He said that he plans to have a postseason meeting with Senators general manager Steve Staios about how he and the team can improve for 2026-27.
"I don't think anybody is more frustrated with how everything went than me," Tkachuk said, per ESPN. "At the end of the day, I didn't play good enough. I tried everything I could to get my game going, but nothing was going in. Nothing was going my way."
Tkachuk also directly spoke to Senators fans to end his presser.
"I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support that you guys had for our team, myself, my family, all year. I really wish we could be playing for you guys still," Tkachuk said, per ESPN. "You guys brought so much energy, so much joy to our team that it makes it sting [more]."
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With Tkachuk now coming off his eighth season, owning just two playoff appearances with the Senators and two brief playoff exits, trade speculation has only increased surrounding him over time. That speculation is nothing new — he and the team have addressed trade rumors before. After the 2024-25 season ended with his first playoff berth, Tkachuk said he had no interest in leaving Ottawa.
“Obviously it’s a lie,” Tkachuk said in May 2025, per NHL.com. “All those articles, stories… It’s just not true. But I think it’s on me if I let that bother me or take me off what I’m trying to do. Everyone knows that I’ll do whatever it takes to win. Seeing this fan base, this excitement, see how much they rallied around us, everybody’s waiting for it. Everybody wants to accomplish and win the Stanley Cup."
When he was absent from the Senators' recent 2025-26 exit interviews on Monday, trade speculation only picked up more. But there was clear reasoning for that absence: Tkachuk was away with his family matters following the birth of his second child, a daughter named Lyla.
Brady Tkachuk says he and his wife Emma welcomed Lyla to the world 14 hours after Game 4.“Ryder wants nothing to do with her right now….but showing signs of progress, he was hanging out with her this morning.”“Having a baby girl it would be easy to get a little softer,… pic.twitter.com/mRBUumqmUd
Despite the fan and media speculation, the Senators have shown no signs of having interest in a Tkachuk deal. Staios also recently dismissed any trade speculation.