‘Ottawa Has To Be In A Position To Be A Buyer’: Why Keith Tkachuk

As the Ottawa Senators gear up for a push toward the Stanley Cup playoffs, there’s debate among fans as to whether the wild-card team should be a buyer before the March 7 NHL trade deadline. But if it were up to Keith Tkachuk, the choice would be clear.

“They’re in the (playoff) mix,” Tkachuk told the Missin Curfew podcast around the 26-minute mark. “I think Ottawa has to be in a position to be a buyer, to help these guys out, to get them some more help. And that’s what I expect from them. And I expect them to be in the playoffs.”

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Tkachuk is speaking as a hockey dad. His son, Brady, is the Senators’ captain. But he is also speaking for all Ottawa fans.

The last time the Senators were in the playoffs was in 2016-17. Only the Sabres (13 years) and Red Wings (eight years) have endured longer droughts. In other words, hanging onto their first-round pick does not make sense for a team that has spent seven years without a playoff game.

Even if they did want to keep this year’s first-round pick, the fact that the Senators are in the mix for a playoff spot means that the pick will be outside the top 10 — certainly not the area in which you’re likely to find a difference-maker. So it’s time for the Sens to spend some of that draft capital on a player who can have an impact right away this season. And that impact is on the offensive, not defensive end.

While Ottawa is ranked 10th in the NHL in goals-against average (2.77 per game), the team is 21st in goals per game (2.80).

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