The New York Rangers' season has been over for over a week, but they will be back in the spotlight when the team is part of the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5. The focus will be on the offseason to see what exactly the team does to improve their chances of making it back to the playoffs last year.
While there are no feasible stars available this offseason, the attention is back on Brady Tkachuk. It's no secret that the Rangers have long sought after Tkachuk, dating back to 2024, with Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer accusing the team of "soft tampering" when a report dropped of New York's interest. With the Senators' season over after a first-round sweep against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Tkachuk trade talk has begun once again.
With the team having locker cleanout on Monday, general manager Steve Staios spoke with reporters. When asked about Tkachuk, who was absent on Monday, about his future with the team, Staios ruled out any talk of a trade.
Rangers can end Brady Tkachuk trade dream after Senators GM's comments
“It’s nonsense is what it is,” Staios said, h/t Zoe Pierce of NHL.com. “I don’t read it. I don’t bother with it. We know what we have internally. We have great communication with our players, so we really don’t focus on it.
"I mean, this comes up very often. There's nothing that we have talked about or thought about where that conversation should happen.”
Even before the start of the playoffs, trade talks began again after comments made by Tkachuk's father, Keith, took a shot at the Senators for the star's decreased playing time late in the season. Not only that, but the elder Tkachuk criticized players for not playing through injuries and goalies not playing back-to-back games, with many in the hockey world assuming the latter was a shot at Senators netminder Linus Ullmark.
Now, add the Senators' quick playoff exit, with Tkachuk failing to log a single point in the four-game series, the trade talk has resurfaced again. But as Staios said, they are not even entertaining that thought.
The only way the Rangers could feasibly have a chance at landing Tkachuk is if he were to demand a trade to New York, since he carries a full no movement clause. As of now, there's no word that Tkachuk would even seek a trade out of Ottawa. With that, the Rangers' only shot would be if he were to hit free agency, which wouldn't happen until the conclusion of the 2027-28 season.
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