NHL Analyst ‘Sells’ on Brady Tkachuk’s Future with Senators originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Ottawa Senators’ push to secure a new arena in downtown Ottawa is back in the spotlight and is raising speculation about the future of captain Brady Tkachuk.
NHL analyst Jason Gregor suggested this week that the franchise’s timeline to relocate from the city’s outskirts to an arena at LeBreton Flats may not align with Tkachuk’s contract, potentially influencing his next move.
On Wednesday’s episode of the “DFO Rundown” podcastGregor noted that Tkachuk’s deal has three years left on it before expiring in 2028, at which point he will become an unrestricted free agent.
According to Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch and Rob Wong, who provided an update on Tuesdaythe new arena will take at least two years to build once the land is ready.
DFO Rundown – Episode 400
Atlantic Division Deep Dive | w/ Michael Russo@Jasongregor | @RussoHockeypic.twitter.com/xkTUVYzEib— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) August 16, 2025
The podcast producer joined the show to present the analysts with a simple question. “I’m going to stir the pot: Brady Tkachuk will still be a member of the Ottawa Senators when the new arena opens — buy or sell?” he asked.
“It’s interesting. A great question, because he got three years left in his contract. And so is it going to be three? Is that building done in three years? Probably not. So I’m going to actually sell,” Gregor said.
A Senators Arena Project and a Brady Tkachuk Ticking Clock
The Senators reached an agreement with the National Capital Commission to secure land at LeBreton Flats, roughly 15 miles from their current arena, the franchise announced on Monday.
Construction hurdles, however, mean the team’s new home is unlikely to be ready before Tkachuk’s contract runs out.
Gregor argued the overlap could affect Tkachuk’s long-term plans.
“I think, I think he is going to, by the time that building is done, he’ll have moved on,” Gregor said, adding, “I get a sense that he might be going to the USA.”
Brady Tkachuk’s Contract Gives Him Full Control
The Senators drafted Tkachuk with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft, and he is entering the fifth year of his eight-year, $57.56 million contract.
Tkachuk’s deal features a full no-movement clause that kicked in on July 1, giving him control over any trade scenario through the duration of his contract.
There has been no indication Ottawa intends to move him, and the earliest the club could extend Tkachuk is July 2027. Tkachuk, meanwhile, denied rumors about his interest in an exit from Ottawa last season when he was linked to the New York Rangers.
“It’s stuff that I can’t control so, to be honest with you, it doesn’t really bother me because it’s coming from a place where it’s not true,” Tkachuk Said on Dec. 10.
Given Tkachuk’s American background as a Scottsdale, Arizona, native, Gregor suggested a move south of the Canadian border could be the natural path if the timing of the Senators’ arena project and his free agency status don’t align, and Ottawa cannot use the new arena as a positive in contract talks.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
