According to ESPN’s John Buccigross, Brady Tkachuk might be playing with the Ottawa Senators sooner rather than later.
The Ottawa Senators went from being a goal away from the Stanley Cup Finals to being one of the worst teams in the NHL in just under 12 months. Going into the 2018-19 season, things aren’t looking good for the Sens long-term. However, fans could be getting a glimpse at the future sooner than originally anticipated.
According to ESPN’s John Buccigross, Brady Tkachuk, the Senators 2018 first-round pick, is expected to inform Boston University of his intention to sign a professional contract.
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This means he could be playing in the NHL as soon as this season. Because Tkachuk played college hockey, he could go straight to the AHL. This is an option he wouldn’t have if he played in a Canadian major junior league, such as the OHL.
However, the fact that Tkachuk is willing to sign his entry-level deal suggests he’ll be on the NHL roster at some point during the 2018-19 season.
Tkachuk was drafted fourth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft by the Senators. He’s coming off an impressive freshman year at Boston University. In his first season playing college hockey, Tkachuk accumulated eight goals and 23 assists for 31 points in 40 games.
At the 2018 World Juniors, he led Team USA to the bronze medal with three goals and nine points in seven games. Tkachuk was also the captain of the 2017 U18 team that won the gold medal at the World Championships.
Given the Senators’ lack of skilled left wings, he’ll likely be able to get immediate playing time. Ryan Dzingel, Mikkel Boedker, Marian Gaborik, and Magnus Paajarvi are their other options there, according to Roster Resource.
Dzingel will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season, while Gaborik’s health is an uncertainty and Paajarvi is more of a fourth-line player or depth forward. Tkachuk could be the Senators best left wing immediately if he winds up signing. Though, as good as he is, that might be more telling of the other options.
Tkachuk is the son of former NHL forward Keith Tkachuk. He’s also the younger brother of Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. Much like his father and his son, Brady has a bit of aggression and bite to his game.