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What I think about Brady Tkachuk/Ottawa at Montreal tonight/Injury updates |
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The Ottawa Senators travel to Montreal tonight for their second last pre-season game as they take on the Habs at 7pm. Once again, the focus will be the battle on the Sens blueline as the likes of Erik Brannstrom, Michael Del Zotto and Josh Brown. Nick Holden has earned himself a spot in the top 6 and now three players are left to battle for the final regular spot. Naturally as the season goes, injuries and who Ottawa matches up against on a nightly basis will change who plays in the bottom pairing. Regardless, the coaching staff needs to decide if Brannstrom will play big minutes in the AHL or see spot duty in the NHL. At 22 years of age, I think the team needs to let Brannstrom have 20-25 games in Belleville while playing in all situations and then bring him up to play a regular shifts for an extended period of time to see if he will stick with the Ottawa once and for all.
Here is a look at the line up as posted on the Sens twitter account below. Mads Sogaard has been recalled by Belleville to serve at the team's 3rd goaltender. Filip Gustavsson will play the full 60 minutes tonight in Montreal. Matt Murray isn't travelling with the team tonight. Colin White had surgery on a dislocated shoulder, he's expected to miss 4-6 months. Parker Kelly is skating with the team but not ready to return from injury. Tyler Ennis was signed to a one year 900k deal this morning.
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There has been no movement on the Brady Tkachuk contract negotiations. With info leaking out to the media from both sides, it has really caused fans to take sides in this matter which is a huge inditement on how ownership has turned fans against certain players over the years. When Eugene Melnyk doesn't get his way he's a very calculated man. Look no further back(December 2017) when he threatened fans that he might move the team if they didn't support the team. “I’m not going to blow a lifetime of working hard to support a hockey team. It’s not going to happen,” says Melnyk. Then only four and half months ago,Eugene Melnyk to Bob McCown and John Shannon on May 19, 2021: "I don't foresee a problem with signing Brady. I don't." That was four months and sixteen days ago. Yet a week from today is the Sens season opener!
One other aspect that I find disturbing is how this past Monday head coach DJ Smith changed his tune so fast on Brady just a day later. Monday he says, “Do I want him here? Yes, I’d be sitting up here lying by saying no,” Smith said before facing the Leafs Monday. “He’s a huge part of the team." Then the next day, Tuesday he says, “I’ve got to start preparing like he’s not going to be here." His tune changed after the info leaked by the Cam and Strick podcast about Tkachuk wanting a bridge deal, but again, this is all rumour as nothing has been said on record by Brady! Or was it management telling DJ what to say in his presser?! In my eyes, yet again, this is ownership/management trying to change the narrative and it smells! We don't need another player who wants to be here, to be raked over the coals because ownership has their tail between their legs. All Sens fans should realize that every NHL player is watching to see how this all unfolds! At this point, the way our owner conducts himself, why would any UFA sign here?
The fan base has yet to see Tkachuk play a full season. In his rookie season, he missed the first 11 games due to a knee injury but still put up 22G, 45pts. His second season ended short due to covid shutting down the season in March, he still put up 21G, 44pts.on one of the worst teams in the league. Then this past season, a covid shortened schedule he put up 17G, 36 pts.
It looks like he won't have a full NHL season again as he remains unsigned. It sure would be nice to see what kind of production Tkachuk might wind up with, during a full NHL campaign.
Lastly, I have had many fans message me on twitter and here on Hockeybuzz on the IM feature. In each reply I sent to the readers, I stated how fans need to relax and remember the player everyone loved in this city at his last press conference to end the season. Until we hear from Tkachuk on record, reserve judgement on the contract situation. I remind all of you to remember how much Tkachuk cares about this team and truly wants to be here. I will leave all of you with this, when this past spring he was the only Sens player to reach out to all four University of North Dakota players who were looking at possibly leaving university early to join the Sens organization after being eliminated from the college hockey playoffs. He offered advice and gave his time to these guys, being the ultimate team leader by being there for them!
If Eugene Melnyk can drive away the Sens most beloved player of all time in Daniel Alfredsson, I guess he can change the narrative on Brady Tkachuk, which is what he's trying to do. A week ago, fans weren't talking about who should be captain of this team. Now fans aren't only debating the Chabot vs. Tkachuk captaincy but fans are getting sour with Tkachuk to the point they are debating what they could get in return on a trade for Tkachuk, which is incredible but this calculated owner/management has fans that frustrated. Why is ownership/management not facing the same criticism? Don't let this owner fool you again! I can't wait to hear on record what Brady has to say about what truly went down during these contract negotiations.
Thanks for reading.
Kevin
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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