Offseason trade chatter is par for the course with the New York Rangers. The disappointing season in 2025-26 has not helped matters, either. There is plenty of ammo to go around, with just about every name on the roster potentially on the block.
But there’s one interesting rumor that has gone around lately. That rumor involves Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk landing on Broadway. Yes, the Senators have publicly denied chatter, but that could just be rhetoric.
On the surface, that’s a good idea. The Rangers could use a scoring winger with a mean streak. It would hardly be a crazy idea to bring in Tkachuk to bolster the alleged retool.
The situation, nonetheless, does not make sense when considering that the Senators would be asking for the moon in exchange for Tkachuk. It makes sense for Ottawa to push for the best possible return.
For an acquiring team like the Blueshirts, paying through the nose for Tkachuk might not be a good idea.
But what if there was a way that a Tkachuk trade could benefit both the Rangers and Senators?
That trade could be making a 1-for-1 hockey swap. That swap would be sending Alexis Lafreniere one way, and Brady Tkachuk the other.
Both Tkachuk and Lafreniere could use a change of scenery. Both are former first-round picks, and both are scoring wingers.
Interestingly, Tkachuk and Lafrenière have similar numbers. The Rangers winger scored 24 goals and 57 points in 82 games this year. Tkachuk scored 22 goals and 59 points in 60 games. Observers would point out that Tkachuk was actually more productive, given that he’s nearly a point-per-game player.
But that’s precisely part of the point. Tkachuk has had a hard time staying healthy. When he’s on the ice, he can score. But he spends just about as much time on the shelf. He’s two years removed from playing a full season, with his offensive numbers sliding from a career-high of 83 points in 2022-23.
Rangers could make Tkachuk’s cap hit work
As for the business side of the equation, Tkachuk and Lafrenière have similar cap hits. The 24-year-old Lafrenière has six more years on his current deal at $7.45 million. Meanwhile, Tkachuk has two more years at $8.2 million.
That’s not bad, and the increase from Tkachuk’s cap hit is pretty much negligible. The difference lies in the term left on each deal. The Rangers would get Tkachuk with two years left on his deal. That’s actually a good situation to consider, especially taking Tkachuk’s injury history into account.
So, getting Tkachuk with just two years could ultimately offset the potential long-term risk to injury. If Tkachuk manages to stay healthy, he and the Rangers could explore another longer-term extension.
As for Lafrenière, the risk the Senators face is getting six more years with potentially declining production. That’s true of any player in the NHL. But the risk the Senators would take on becomes minimized by the rising cap. The increase in the salary cap ceiling would water down Lafrenière's overall cap hit.
From Ottawa’s perspective, perhaps the biggest advantage is ridding itself of the inevitably uncomfortable situation that will emerge from Tkachuk’s potential extension. Moving Tkachuk now, when his value is seemingly at its highest, would alleviate the organization from some needless drama this season and beyond.
This deal, as proposed herein, is unlikely to happen. But if everyone comes to their senses, it wouldn’t be out of the question to discuss. While there are plenty of moving parts involved, it might be more realistic than most believe.
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