Is Brady Tkachuk Failing the Ottawa Senators?

Over the last three games, the Sens captain has had ample opportunity to put his money where his mouth is. Unfortunately, he hasn’t lived up to his own standard.

Let’s look at the tape. On March 18th, Shane Pinto absorbed what many considered to be a dangerously high hit from Tom Wilson.

Just days later on March 21st, Sens defender Dennis Gilbert took a thunderous, night-ending hit from Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The veteran was sent straight to the dressing room.

But the most egregious offense came last night. Thomas Chabot ate a brutal cross-check from New York Rangers’ captain J.T. Miller, leaving the star defender in obvious agony and ending his night early. The most concerning part? The player casually skating past Miller in the clip below, completely uninterested in stepping up, is Brady Tkachuk.

Brady Tkachuk was once universally feared as one of the toughest players in the NHL. Today? He has had exactly two fights over the last two years. One was against current teammate Dennis Gilbert, and the other against Anders Lee, neither of whom are exactly heavyweight enforcers. It’s starting to look like Tkachuk’s gritty reputation is fading, and his tenure in Ottawa might be running its course.

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators are on the outside looking in. They currently sit 10th in the Eastern Conference, two agonizing points out of the final wild-card spot. With injuries piling up, especially with Lassi Thomson and Thomas Chabot expected to miss extended time, that two-point gap could quickly become a canyon.

Perhaps Tkachuk’s recent success with Team USA has shifted his perspective. It’s easy to hop on a mic and claim you’ll go to war for your teammates; it’s a lot harder to actually drop the gloves and do it. It might be time for Brady to pause the podcasting and refocus his energy where it belongs: the ice.

Even the most die-hard Senators fans are beginning to question their captain. If this team misses the playoffs yet again, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Tkachuk returns without major scrutiny.

The Senators face the Detroit Red Wings tonight in an absolute must-win matchup. Let’s hope Brady Tkachuk wakes from his slumber, backs up his big words, and finally shows up for his team.