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Rangers rumors: Irritated Brady Tkachuk says trade wish ‘just not true’
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- Rangers rumors: Irritated Brady Tkachuk says trade wish ‘just not true’
Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
If the New York Rangers were holding out any hope that Brady Tkachuk might ask for a trade this offseason, the Ottawa Senators captain made sure to snuff it out this weekend.
Speaking about the persistent rumors that he wants out of Ottawa, an irritated Tkachuk was very clear in his messaging at Senators break-up day.
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"Obviously it's a lie," Tkachuk stated flatly . "All those articles, stories … It's just not true. But I think it's on me if I let that bother me or take me off what I'm trying to do. Everyone knows that I'll do whatever it takes to win. Seeing this fan base, this excitement, see how much they rallied around us, everybody's waiting for it. Everybody wants to accomplish the same thing and win the Stanley Cup."
Earlier this season, before the Senators found their groove and eventually ended a seven-year playoff drought by capturing the first wild card in the Eastern Conference , rumors were rampant that Tkachuk was sick of the losing in Ottawa and wanted to be traded. The 25-year-old had never played a postseason game in his career before this season and just watched up close when his brother Matthew helped the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup last spring.
So, the rumors made sense — at least on the surface. And the Rangers , more often than not, were tied to much of the speculation, which made even more sense considering general manager Chris Drury was looking to shake up the roster mix and Tkachuk was exactly the type player the Blueshirts coveted — fiery, passionate, gritty, tough, skilled, and in his prime.
The Senators became so annoyed with the rumors that Tkachuk was going to be traded to the Rangers that their owner, Michael Andlauer, dropped a "soft tampering" accusation against the Blueshirts in December.
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"This is an irresponsible accusation, and we defer to the commissioner's office," a Rangers spokesperson said in reply to Andlauer's comment.
Related: Mike Sullivan hire by Rangers a 'home run': Brian Boyle
Brady Tkachuk not seeking trade to Rangers or anywhere else: 'I want to be here (Ottawa)'
Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
The Rangers eventually traded for J.T. Miller , acquiring the veteran center from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31. They failed to make the playoffs, and would seemingly still have interest in trying to add Tkachuk this offseason, though there's been no credible reporting about that possibility.
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Rumors continue to buzz around Tkachuk, who was excellent in his first Stanley Cup Playoff series, when the Senators lost their first-round Battle of Ontario in six games to the Toronto Maple Leafs . Tkachuk led Ottawa with four goals and seven points in the series, and was second on the team with 30 hits.
He sounded all-in on Ottawa after that series concluded last week.
"I want to play here, I want to be here, and I really believe in everybody in this organization that everybody wants to win here," Tkachuk told reporters . "That's what makes it fun. Everybody has the same goal and wants to accomplish the same thing."
Tkachuk has a full no-move clause in his contract that kicks in July 1. He has three years remaining on his $8.2 million AAV deal and can become an unrestricted free agent in the 2028 offseason.
It sounds like if the Rangers really want the stud forward, they'll need to wait a while.
