If Larry Brooks were still alive, I'd be dying to read his first column following the Ottawa Senators' playoff exit at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. I am sure he'd have a lot to say about Brady Tkachuk and the New York Rangers' potential pursuit of the Senators' captain. It was Brooks' reporting, after all, that led to Ottawa getting up in arms about "soft tampering" in the first place. But with that column never to come, I will do my best to tackle the subject in the sharp-tongued manner that Larry would have.
The NHL is a "what have you done for me lately?" league, and trade costs should reflect that. Saturday’s 4-0 sweep will certainly cause the rumor mills to start up again, but in the wake of a series where Tkachuk failed to record a single point, the price tag should be plummeting. As the captain and leader of his team, Tkachuk needed to be better, one way or another, he is responsible for that early exit.
Ottawa's captain, Brady Tkachuk, failed to register a point before getting swept by Carolina in the first round. pic.twitter.com/cGoeCEwx5F
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 25, 2026
I am sure there'd be some qualifier about not making a definitive decision based on a small sample size. A four-game sweep shouldn't ultimately define Tkachuk as a player. While I agree with that sentiment, the truth is that Tkachuk is a player who has never made a ton of sense for the Rangers. His latest failing just makes it easier for Chris Drury to finally head in a different direction.
Reputation vs. Output
The Senators' captain has a career average of about 66 points per 82 games. This season, limited to 60 games, he finished with 59 points, and while he was impressive analytically (61.54 xGF%), his top-line production never seems to match his underlying dominance. While his contributions can help a team, they aren't elite enough for a player carrying an $8,205,714 cap charge. Tkachuk brings grit, but not enough to justify his compensation when combined with his stagnant on-ice production.
In some ways he's like a modern-day Rick Nash, without being as explosive and dynamic when it comes to scoring goals. Nash had 547 points through 674 games at the time he was traded for Columbus, and that factors out to 0.81 points per game. Tkachuk is up to 463 in 572 games, which is also 0.81 points per game.
The Lafrenière Comparison
With that being said, there's no world in which the Rangers should try and swing a trade that includes Alexis Lafrenière. A popular name cited in these rumors, Lafrenière turns 25 in October and is locked up until 2032 at $7.45 million a season, a deal that will look like an absolute bargain if he has truly turned the corner.
The Rangers' 2020 No. 1 overall pick tied his career high in points this season while posting stellar underlying numbers: a 54.07 GF%, 51.77 CF%, and 52.95 xGF% per Evolving-Hockey. When you look at how he finished the 2026 calendar year and the jump he took after Artemi Panarin was traded, is it really a hot take to think he’s a better long-term fit? Lafrenière is trending up and Tkachuk is plateauing at a much higher price point.
The Verdict
The thought of trading for Tkachuk won't go away until he's moved or Ottawa shuts things down. But Tkachuk's end to the season doesn't inspire confidence that he could come to New York and get the team back on track in the playoffs.
Frank Seravalli: Re Brady Tkachuk/Senators: I've never questioned his heart and his commitment to win...but in some ways I can't help but feel like he's been a little bit checked out in Ottawa, and I don't know if that's post-Olympics or what - Big Show (4/24)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) April 25, 2026
He may have been a productive player for Mike Sullivan as part of Team USA, but when the NHL lights got brightest on Saturday, he was nowhere to be found. For a team executing Letter 2.0, pursuing Tkachuk may come at a price the Rangers simply cannot consider trying to pay.
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