Tim Stutzle Drops Blunt Comment on Brady Tkachuk After Trade

Stutzle on Tkachuk Trade: 'We've Got to Move On'

Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle delivered a measured but direct response to the trade of longtime captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, acknowledging the departure while insisting the team is moving forward.

Speaking at the European Player Media Tour, Stutzle said Tkachuk's trade request caught him off guard.

"It's his decision. There's nothing we can do about it. For me, he was always a great teammate and, obviously, a great hockey player and we're going to miss him. He was always there for me. But at the end of the day, we've got to move on," Stutzle said, as reported by Heavy. "We're going to miss him as a hockey player, as a person, and as a leader, but it is what it is. We're focused on what we have ahead of us and the team we have right now."

Stutzle downplayed the idea that losing a player of Tkachuk's caliber drastically alters the Senators' outlook.

"He's a great player, so obviously if you lose a guy like him, he's going to be missed, but I don't think a whole lot changed for us," he said. "I think we always had great leaders in the room, so there's not one guy who has to be the guy. We have so many guys who lead the team well where everybody has an open ear for anyone."

The German center also expressed his commitment to the franchise: "I love Ottawa and I want to be there for as long as I can." Reflecting on the team's trajectory, he added, "We're still a really young team, so I think everything is going to move up from here."

A Discontent in the Capital

Tkachuk left Ottawa after eight seasons, five of them as captain. The Senators traded him to the Panthers—their divisional rivals—in June. The full return reportedly included the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 NHL draft, a top-10-protected first-round pick in 2029, and a second-round pick in 2027, though the terms of the deal have been described as a hoard of draft picks by some outlets.

Bruce Garrioch, a Senators insider for The Ottawa Citizen, painted a telling picture of Tkachuk's mindset before the trade. "This was going to happen one way or another, and that's just the reality of the situation," Garrioch said. "Tkachuk wasn't going to finish his contract in Ottawa. The Senators were getting tired of the 'Captain America' narrative that followed Tkachuk, and he was sick of being here."

The trade was partially fueled by Tkachuk's discontent, as reported by Heavy.\n

A Podcast, A Distraction?

A separate report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman suggests that Tkachuk's podcast "Wingmen"—which he hosts with his brother Matthew—was a source of friction in the Senators' dressing room.

"The Tkachuk thing, we talked about this at length, and it was time to end the noise around the whole situation," Friedman said, via The 32 Thoughts podcast. "One of the players said the only thing we should have added was the podcast. And he said the podcast caused some problems, and it was just time. It's better for the Senators just to end the noise," he added.

This account presents a different side from Stutzle's public sentiments, though the forward did not comment on the internal sniping.

The Senators' Leadership Question

With Tkachuk gone, the Senators may soon have a new captain. TSN reports that president and general manager Steve Ballet is closing on a decision with head coach Travis Green. According to a report by Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, the team would ideally like to name a captain before training camp opens on Sept. 16.

Garrioch chose to highlight defencemen Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson, plus center Tim Stutzle as the top candidates.

Chabot's contract situation could play a role—he is eligible for a new contract next summer, signed at $8 million AAV through 2027-28. Sanderson is signed through 2032 at an $8.05 million cap hit, while Stutzle's contract, at a team-high $8.35 million AAV, runs through 2031.

The leadership vacancy isn't just filled by Tkachuk's absence: The Senators have also lost franchise icon Daniel Alfredsson, who took a coaching position with the rival Toronto Maple Leafs under head coach Jim Hiller—leaving the team short of both a captain and a legend.

A Difficult Offseason

Beyond the captaincy, the franchise is navigating other upheaval. Ottawa eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, and there's speculation about the future of forward Drake Batherson amidst contract negotiation difficulties, as reported by Heavy.

For Stutzle, the mood isn't doom, but steady. "We're a really young team, so I think everything is going to move up from here," he said.

It won't be easy to replace a player who had 213 goals and 250 assists in 672 regular-season games as a Senator, but to Stutzle's point, the 26-year-old star is no longer in Ottawa—and no single player is expected to carry the lead on his own.

Their move to Florida collects him with his brother on a Panthers team that couldn't make a third straight Stanley Cup Final last season, though the two are serious about retention for a another run.

For Ottawa, the journey underway to find their next captain is closely tied to how well they can replace a player who had become the face of the franchise.