So What Happens Monday Morning?

[DackellDuck]

When it comes to whether the fans would be upset about a Brady trade, psychologically the perspective has now changed where the players are the only ones left to blame because the two big contributing factors to this franchise being perpetually held back are both gone. Those are Melnyk and Dorion, although, Dorion was only in the position he was in as a symptom of Melnyk's ownership.

The only way people will be upset about a Brady trade is if the return is a Joe Thornton type return where we panic and trade Tkachuk for 2-3 good roster players who in a bubble might make us deeper on paper now but are worth nowhere near the value of Tkachuk.

You’re right, you could trade Brady tomorrow and honestly, I think there’s so much apathy already that fans would just move on.

The question is does the organization want to take on a big contract in return, or do they want to burn it to the ground in the summer.

I’m sure if you called up the Blues they’d pack Jordan Kyrou’s bags, for example. But do the Sens want Jordan Kyrou at 8.25M?

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

Matthew Tkachuk is good at hockey and cares. We aren't getting anywhere close to that return.

Matthew Tkachuk is a top line player and star who works his ass off even if he's a rat. Brady Tkachuk is a top 6 guy.

I would be fine with Brady Tkachuk in Ottawa if we had another player of the caliber of Stutzle on this roster. Another guy who can create for others consistently. But we don't. And we're hoping Brady Tkachuk can be that guy. We're hoping Brady Tkachuk can be Matthew Tkachuk. And after 4 years it's pretty obvious he cannot be Matthew Tkachuk. That's okay. Now we know lets move forward accordingly.

The point wasn't to suggestion because his brother returned X, Tkachuk will return X.

The situations are similar in that they are both "unicorn" type players who teams will find a way to acquire, even if they shouldn't have the flexibility to do it. The reason I pointed that out, is because it's absurd to say that a team will trade a player with an 8.XXM cap hit and multiple years left in season. It's usually very difficult and requires a lot of leg work.

I'm suggesting that Staios probably has already done that leg work, because he knows Tkachuk's NMC is coming up and that he needs to know what the market might have been for him in July 2025, and that if things change to where they want to move him earlier, teams aren't going to tell him to wait until the summer, they will make a hockey trade and move out what was previously a core piece because acquiring Tkachuk would be seen as a king making move.

No other GM is going to believe Tkachuk is the problem. We're the Senators. They are going to be salivating at the idea that they can get Tkachuk out of Ottawa because fortunately for them, he was drafted to a franchise that is still trying to repair the dysfunction from their previous ownership.

With that said, if you're Staios and you can get a similar package to what you expect to be on the table in the summer, you do it now. Not because whatever comes back necessarily makes the team better on paper, but because whatever norms they have in the room need to be completely decimated, and trading Tkachuk is like putting a nuke through the room. If they still suck, well they were going to suck anyways and Tkachuk was going to get traded in the summer for a similar package - but there is always the chance that whatever storming comes from moving Tkachuk and whoever else they can get out the door helps them get over whatever psychological hump the team had and possibly make the playoffs.

You’re right, you could trade Brady tomorrow and honestly, I think there’s so much apathy already that fans would just move on.

The question is does the organization want to take on a big contract in return, or do they want to burn it to the ground in the summer.

I’m sure if you called up the Blues they’d pack Jordan Kyrou’s bags, for example. But do the Sens want Jordan Kyrou at 8.25M?

I highly doubt they want to rebuild. This market can't handle that. If Tkachuk is traded, it will either be something closer to 1 for 1 or 1 for 2 for name players, or it will be something everybody hates where we get three Michael Jensens back who technically help us get deeper on paper, but nobody wants to move their franchise power forward for 2nd liners or top 4 defensemen.

 

[DackellDuck]

The point wasn't to suggestion because his brother returned X, Tkachuk will return X.

The situations are similar in that they are both "unicorn" type players who teams will find a way to acquire, even if they shouldn't have the flexibility to do it. The reason I pointed that out, is because it's absurd to say that a team will trade a player with an 8.XXM cap hit and multiple years left in season. It's usually very difficult and requires a lot of leg work.

I'm suggesting that Staios probably has already done that leg work, because he knows Tkachuk's NMC is coming up and that he needs to know what the market might have been for him in July 2025, and that if things change to where they want to move him earlier, teams aren't going to tell him to wait until the summer, they will make a hockey trade and move out what was previously a core piece because acquiring Tkachuk would be seen as a king making move.

No other GM is going to believe Tkachuk is the problem. We're the Senators. They are going to be salivating at the idea that they can get Tkachuk out of Ottawa because fortunately for them, he was drafted to a franchise that is still trying to repair the dysfunction from their previous ownership.

With that said, if you're Staios and you can get a similar package to what you expect to be on the table in the summer, you do it now. Not because whatever comes back necessarily makes the team better on paper, but because whatever norms they have in the room need to be completely decimated, and trading Tkachuk is like putting a nuke through the room. If they still suck, well they were going to suck anyways and Tkachuk was going to get traded in the summer for a similar package - but there is always the chance that whatever storming comes from moving Tkachuk and whoever else they can get out the door helps them get over whatever psychological hump the team had and possibly make the playoffs.



I highly doubt they want to rebuild. This market can't handle that. If Tkachuk is traded, it will either be something closer to 1 for 1 or 1 for 2 for name players, or it will be something everybody hates where we get three Michael Jensens back who technically help us get deeper on paper, but nobody wants to move their franchise power forward for 2nd liners or top 4 defensemen.

From their perspective, rebuilding ahead of a new arena is probably not the worst option. It’d take 1-2 years to tear down anyway.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

The other thing you have to factor in is that if they do not want to punt the season, the Tkachuk stuff is going to snowball and become a distraction because it doesn't take an HFBoards poster with a gimmicky username to notice that he has a NMC coming up in the summer and has spent his entire career in hockey purgatory.

So by waiting to pull the trigger, you turn the next 3 months into something similar to what happened when Karlsson was available. They can't afford that. They need to put a compelling product on the ice.

The moment Staios said Tkachuk is a guy you build around, I knew he was gone.

 

[Knave]

The other thing you have to factor in is that if they do not want to punt the season, the Tkachuk stuff is going to snowball and become a distraction because it doesn't take an HFBoards poster with a gimmicky username to notice that he has a NMC coming up in the summer and has spent his entire career in hockey purgatory.

So by waiting to pull the trigger, you turn the next 3 months into something similar to what happened when Karlsson was available. They can't afford that. They need to put a compelling product on the ice.

The moment Staios said Tkachuk is a guy you build around, I knew he was gone.

We are punting the season with Tkachuk as our captain right now.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

If Brady moves anytime soon, this team moves down the 401

He also probably thinks that way too but thankfully he is nowhere near that important.

Let's stop making excuses for him and admit Brady is one of the most overrated player we have had.

All bluster no substance.

 

[The Waffler]

Life goes on

 

[DackellDuck]

The other thing you have to factor in is that if they do not want to punt the season, the Tkachuk stuff is going to snowball and become a distraction because it doesn't take an HFBoards poster with a gimmicky username to notice that he has a NMC coming up in the summer and has spent his entire career in hockey purgatory.

So by waiting to pull the trigger, you turn the next 3 months into something similar to what happened when Karlsson was available. They can't afford that. They need to put a compelling product on the ice.

The moment Staios said Tkachuk is a guy you build around, I knew he was gone.

They could, though, just make Tkachuk play out his contract. Yes he has a NMC, but he can’t get up and leave. His brother had the power to walk away. He signed that chance away.

It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.

I honestly have no idea what he’d return if he was put on the block.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Gonna start sports betting to try to make up for the amount of money spent on tickets/concessions/parking at tonight's shit show.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

What's gonna happen is they'll sit Kleven for someone else as well as Cousins so Gregor can slot back in, and maybe Forsberg will get the start. Maybe they'll scramble the lines a bit more as well.

The result on the ice will be the same with Calgary outworking us all night.

There's just not that much you can do to fix an entire group's mentality and lack of confidence in two days. The real solution is in the GM's hands, and I think we all know what that means.

 

[SensHulk]

When was the last time these guys actually held a practice? Maybe that’s what they should do on Monday.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

The other thing you have to factor in is that if they do not want to punt the season, the Tkachuk stuff is going to snowball and become a distraction because it doesn't take an HFBoards poster with a gimmicky username to notice that he has a NMC coming up in the summer and has spent his entire career in hockey purgatory.

So by waiting to pull the trigger, you turn the next 3 months into something similar to what happened when Karlsson was available. They can't afford that. They need to put a compelling product on the ice.

The moment Staios said Tkachuk is a guy you build around, I knew he was gone.

So you're telling me we're getting another Norris (Without his contract), Jimothy, and Sanderson? XD

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

From their perspective, rebuilding ahead of a new arena is probably not the worst option. It’d take 1-2 years to tear down anyway.

It's a logical thing to do but you have to consider that this is a small market team that relies on ticket revenue and businessmen do not like to lose money. There is a consortium that owns this team. Do you think they are all going to agree to foot the bill for us to finish last for another 5-10 years?

The other thing is that with a normal rebuild, the team is coming down from a higher peak. During a rebuild, long time fans typically stop supporting the team, and less new fans are created. Doing that for 5-10 years after a successful period when the fanbase has been "topped up" so to speak is one thing. Do that for what would potentially be a 15-20 year period could be disastrous. Especially in this unique market where we are partly a transplant city, and our territory was previous occupied by Leafs and Canadiens fans who try to get their kids to cheer for Leafs and Canadiens. Instead of asking for an Ullmark jersey, kids are going to ask for a Matthews jersey.

How do you create fanfare with the selling point "Our team that hasn't made the playoffs in 15+ years is moving downtown!" - you don't.

I'd say that the realities of the market, and the likelihood that they already knew a Brady trade was a strong possibility at the deadline or in July are both why he probably gets moved ASAP to try and put a lightning bolt through the team. Things are already starting to snowball, and keeping him ensures the season is done.

I don't know if people realize that they were watching what might be an iconic game in Senators history tonight. I'm not sure I would bet money on this being his last game as a Senator, but it wouldn't shock me.

So you're telling me we're getting another Norris (Without his contract), Jimothy, and Sanderson? XD

I know you're just kidding around but I'm more just referring to the distraction of everybody going through the five stages of grief with Karlsson and being in denial about him even being available. "Evil Toronto media lying!", etc.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

It's a logical thing to do but you have to consider that this is a small market team that relies on ticket revenue and businessmen do not like to lose money. There is a consortium that owns this team. Do you think they are all going to agree to foot the bill for us to finish last for another 5-10 years?

The other thing is that with a normal rebuild, the team is coming down from a higher peak. During a rebuild, long time fans typically stop supporting the team, and less new fans are created. Doing that for 5-10 years after a successful period when the fanbase has been "topped up" so to speak is one thing. Do that for what would potentially be a 15-20 year period could be disastrous. Especially in this unique market where we are partly a transplant city, and our territory was previous occupied by Leafs and Canadiens fans who try to get their kids to cheer for Leafs and Canadiens. Instead of asking for an Ullmark jersey, kids are going to ask for a Matthews jersey.

How do you create fanfare with the selling point "Our team that hasn't made the playoffs in 15+ years is moving downtown!" - you don't.

I'd say that the realities of the market, and the likelihood that they already knew a Brady trade was a strong possibility at the deadline or in July are both why he probably gets moved ASAP to try and put a lightning bolt through the team. Things are already starting to snowball, and keeping him ensures the season is done.

I don't know if people realize that they were watching what might be an iconic game in Senators history tonight. I'm not sure I would bet money on this being his last game as a Senator, but it wouldn't shock me.



I know you're just kidding around but I'm more just referring to the distraction of everybody going through the five stages of grief with Karlsson and being in denial about him even being available. "Evil Toronto media lying!", etc.

Oh for sure I get ya. Idk I just think we need to trade Brady.

 

[DackellDuck]

It's a logical thing to do but you have to consider that this is a small market team that relies on ticket revenue and businessmen do not like to lose money. There is a consortium that owns this team. Do you think they are all going to agree to foot the bill for us to finish last for another 5-10 years?

The other thing is that with a normal rebuild, the team is coming down from a higher peak. During a rebuild, long time fans typically stop supporting the team, and less new fans are created. Doing that for 5-10 years after a successful period when the fanbase has been "topped up" so to speak is one thing. Do that for what would potentially be a 15-20 year period could be disastrous. Especially in this unique market where we are partly a transplant city, and our territory was previous occupied by Leafs and Canadiens fans who try to get their kids to cheer for Leafs and Canadiens. Instead of asking for an Ullmark jersey, kids are going to ask for a Matthews jersey.

How do you create fanfare with the selling point "Our team that hasn't made the playoffs in 15+ years is moving downtown!" - you don't.

I'd say that the realities of the market, and the likelihood that they already knew a Brady trade was a strong possibility at the deadline or in July are both why he probably gets moved ASAP to try and put a lightning bolt through the team. Things are already starting to snowball, and keeping him ensures the season is done.

I don't know if people realize that they were watching what might be an iconic game in Senators history tonight. I'm not sure I would bet money on this being his last game as a Senator, but it wouldn't shock me.



I know you're just kidding around but I'm more just referring to the distraction of everybody going through the five stages of grief with Karlsson and being in denial about him even being available. "Evil Toronto media lying!", etc.

I’d be more in line with your thinking if we didn’t have a guy who seems to be Captain Cautious in his first stint as GM of an NHL team in charge.

Any trade Staios makes puts his own career on the line.

It’d be one thing if we had a lifer who shoots from the hip like Jimmy Rutherford in charge. But that’s not the case.

Everything Andlauer and Staios have done has been slow and steady.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Sad that people think Brady is the problem… the guy scores and plays hard… the locker room looks up to him. He will a cup. Guy is solid.

So f***ing sad.

Always excuses. Always the scapegoats.

So f***ing sad

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

I’d be more in line with your thinking if we didn’t have a guy who seems to be Captain Cautious in his first stint as GM of an NHL team in charge.

Any trade Staios makes puts his own career on the line.

It’d be one thing if we had a lifer who shoots from the hip like Jimmy Rutherford in charge. But that’s not the case.

I think he has been cautious and already gauged the market on Brady.

I am not suggesting that he is going to wake up tomorrow morning and start the process. If I recall it was reported that Staios gauged the market on every asset the team had when he took over. If he is cautious, he loaded up Capfriendly when he took over and saw Brady's NMC activated July 1st 2025. Then he planned accordingly so that if Brady wanted out, he had a backup plan that wouldn't risk putting the team in a position to keep Brady past it activating.

Which isn't the same as saying he planned to trade Brady, but it doesn't take an HFBoards poster to look at how common it is for stars to want out after failing to make the playoffs for 7 years, and NMCs being forks in the road where teams need to move those stars before they lose all leverage in trade talks. (Both in scenarios where the player wants out, or in scenarios where the team doesn't want to be married to the player like Montreal and Subban.)

All I am saying is that it wouldn't shock me if Staios had a rough idea of who he could call, what they might offer, and what he could ask for. Normally, I don't think that's enough to move an 8M player with term in season, but with how unique of an asset Brady is, I think teams will alter their plans and move a core player to get him.

Sad that people think Brady is the problem… the guy scores and plays hard… the locker room looks up to him. He will a cup. Guy is solid.

So f***ing sad.

Always excuses. Always the scapegoats.

So f***ing sad

He isn't the problem. The situation is bigger than him.

He is the only guy who they can move who will likely attract pieces that can reasonably change the team, and if the situation plays out remotely similar to the millions of other situations that have happened in the past with teams and players, they were probably going to have to move him anyways in the summer before his NMC kicked in.

 

[R2010]

Sad that people think Brady is the problem… the guy scores and plays hard… the locker room looks up to him. He will a cup. Guy is solid.

So f***ing sad.

Always excuses. Always the scapegoats.

So f***ing sad

People are trying to find someone to scapegoat. You're correct. It's unfair to Brady.

But on the other hand, I can certainly tell you that he won't win a cup and certainly won't lead a team to a cup if he doesn't mature his game.

The biggest red flag for me was the reaction to DJ Smith getting fired and replaced with Jacques last year. He didn't lead by example at that time.

I'm not sure where this all goes but until Brady starts leading by example in terms of his defensive game and maturity, we're not going anywhere.

 

[DackellDuck]

Sad that people think Brady is the problem… the guy scores and plays hard… the locker room looks up to him. He will a cup. Guy is solid.

So f***ing sad.

Always excuses. Always the scapegoats.

So f***ing sad

He, and his teammates, need a come to Jesus moment. If they look up to him, he should be leading them there. But from what I can tell, he isn’t.

I really thought after watching the Panthers on their run, up close, he’d come into this season composed, mature and locked in.

He hasn’t.

So it’s hard to know what the next step is. Is Brady willing to dig in and change his own approach, or has he already called dad and put one foot out the door? I wouldn’t want to be Staios.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

If one of you guys wants to call into the TSN 1200 post game show you have permission to recite one of my 3000 word posts about the Brady situation, but you have to do it with a strong Brooklyn accent and occasionally pause to yell at someone off the phone.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

I’d be more in line with your thinking if we didn’t have a guy who seems to be Captain Cautious in his first stint as GM of an NHL team in charge.

Any trade Staios makes puts his own career on the line.

It’d be one thing if we had a lifer who shoots from the hip like Jimmy Rutherford in charge. But that’s not the case.

Everything Andlauer and Staios have done has been slow and steady.

Na Steve Staios is Andlauers right hand man. If he ever stops being the GM he will just be the president of the team. He has a guaranteed job.

If one of you guys wants to call into the TSN 1200 post game show you have permission to recite one of my 3000 word posts about the Brady situation, but you have to do it with a strong Brooklyn accent and occasionally pause to yell at someone off the phone.

You're singlehandedly going to manifest it into being, and I will finally read that law of attraction book.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

He, and his teammates, need a come to Jesus moment. If they look up to him, he should be leading them there. But from what I can tell, he isn’t.

I really thought after watching the Panthers on their run, up close, he’d come into this season composed, mature and locked in.

He hasn’t.

So it’s hard to know what the next step is. I wouldn’t want to be Staios.

I think he has to go somewhere that already has a strong veteran presence where he doesn't have to be the guy, at least for now.

He was put in a bad situation from the start in Ottawa. Stone was traded in year 1. We never had a strong veteran core with him. Compare that to Matthew in Calgary. While parts of their core were young, they had a stronger veteran persence.

Can you imagine taking Alfredsson, Philips, Spezza, Neil, Fisher (partly), Kuba, etc off those Sens teams that Karlsson started on and then making him the captain with no real veteran guidance to look to.

I understand why people are disappointed in the entire situation and how this rebuild is clearly failing to materialize as we hoped, but before people attack Tkachuk personally and make assumptions about his quality as a leader or a person, I think they should objectively look at the situation he was developed in as a young star. Also, none of us have any idea about who does what or behaves what way in the room - so a lot of these are assumptions made just based on what body language or actions people see on TV or at the arena on the ice.

Na Steve Staios is Andlauers right hand man. If he ever stops being the GM he will just be the president of the team. He has a guaranteed job.



You're singlehandedly going to manifest it into being, and I will finally read that law of attraction book.

All I want is for someone from the Rangers board to mistakenly report that a Sens board insider claimed Tkachuk for Lafreniere and Schneider was close. (I'm not an insider nor am I related to Tim Murray)

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

Sad that people think Brady is the problem… the guy scores and plays hard… the locker room looks up to him. He will a cup. Guy is solid.

So f***ing sad.

Always excuses. Always the scapegoats.

So f***ing sad

He can be all those things and more and still be an overall 'negative' influence on the team. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Brady a life long Sen.

What I'm seeing (watching night and night over the past 3-4 years) is an immature team with an immature leadership group. Blame the Owner, GM, Coach, equipment manager - doesn't matter. There's been 1 consistent facter throughout these disappointing years.

"Pull guys into battle" - sounds nice but doesn't mean much when it is consistently and habitually at the tale end of an already lost match.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

All I want is for someone from the Rangers board to mistakenly report that a Sens board insider claimed Tkachuk for Lafreniere and Schneider was close. (I'm not an insider nor am I related to Tim Murray)

That will be the first domino to set it off.

 

[Adrianopolous]

If one of you guys wants to call into the TSN 1200 post game show you have permission to recite one of my 3000 word posts about the Brady situation, but you have to do it with a strong Brooklyn accent and occasionally pause to yell at someone off the phone.

You're making alot of sense let me just say that

It's a weird situation because had we just drafted Zadina, we would have gotten the worse player yes, but how different would our situation have been?

Either way we are completely failing regardless of how good Tkachuk is..