Olympics Milano Cortina 2026: Gold Medal Game Mens Ice hockey, Eishockey Canada Vs United States Feb 22 February 22, 2026: Brady Tkachuk 7 of the United States during the Mens Ice Hockey Gold Medal game between Canada and USA held at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS in Milan, Italy. MilanoCortina2026 Daniel Lea Credit Image: Â Daniel Lea/Cal Media Milan Italy EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20260222_zma_c04_177.jpg DanielxLeax csmphotothree477015
Olympics Milano Cortina 2026: Gold Medal Game Mens Ice hockey, Eishockey Canada Vs United States Feb 22 February 22, 2026: Brady Tkachuk 7 of the United States during the Mens Ice Hockey Gold Medal game between Canada and USA held at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS in Milan, Italy. MilanoCortina2026 Daniel Lea Credit Image: Â Daniel Lea/Cal Media Milan Italy EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20260222_zma_c04_177.jpg DanielxLeax csmphotothree477015
As the Ottawa Senators found the pieces to fill the void left by former captain Brady Tkachuk, GM Steve Staios’ remarks highlighted how he’s seeing the journey ahead.
"I don't want anybody to be misled,” the GM said after Tkachuk’s trade, per NHL.com’s writer Mike Zeisberger. “I think you see the transaction, the picks coming back. You wonder which direction the team is going. I want to be clear: I don't intend on taking a step back with this group.”
Following the former captain’s move to the Florida Panthers on June 21, 2026, to play with his brother Matthew, the Senators welcomed the Panthers’ No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 draft, a conditional 2029 first-rounder, and a 2027 second-round pick.
Olympics Milano Cortina 2026: Gold Medal Game Mens Ice hockey, Eishockey Canada Vs United States Feb 22 February 22, 2026: Brady Tkachuk 7 of the United States looks back at defender Devon Toews 7 of Canada during the Mens Ice Hockey Gold Medal game between Canada and USA held at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS in Milan, Italy. MilanoCortina2026 Daniel Lea Credit Image: Â Daniel Lea/Cal Media Milan Italy EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20260222_zma_c04_156.jpg DanielxLeax csmphotothree475339
Olympics Milano Cortina 2026: Gold Medal Game Mens Ice hockey, Eishockey Canada Vs United States Feb 22 February 22, 2026: Brady Tkachuk 7 of the United States looks back at defender Devon Toews 7 of Canada during the Mens Ice Hockey Gold Medal game between Canada and USA held at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS in Milan, Italy. MilanoCortina2026 Daniel Lea Credit Image: Â Daniel Lea/Cal Media Milan Italy EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20260222_zma_c04_156.jpg DanielxLeax csmphotothree475339
Moreover, the Senators countered the situation by signing San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund and Chicago Blackhawks Forward Andre Burakovsky to pump up the offensive duties in Tkachuk’s absence.
Eklund posted 15 goals and 53 points; Burakovsky added 11 goals and 33 points. Combined, they total 68 points, exceeding Tkachuk's 59 of the 2025-26 season. This is surely relieving for Staios.
But they do fall short of Tkachuk's two-way impact, so the team is still very much in need of a strong forward line. Hence, replacing the former captain will be challenging, per Zeisberger.
But the GM is confident about a better outcome. Given that these weren’t some sudden roster swings, but well-thought-out and calculated ones.
Senators GM Steve Staios on Brady Tkachuk’s Leave
Tkachuk left Ottawa after captaining the team for five seasons. While the NHL world caught wind of it much later, Staios’ remarks revealed that the front office saw this coming. Hence, the decision-making probably started much earlier too.
“I believe that we were able to recover with the moves that we’ve made. But also with the team that we have here,” he revealed on the Alex Adams Sens Spotlight podcast, shared on X on July 23, 2026.
"It became fairly clear to me as we were going through this that, over probably the last year and a half. It seemed to me that it was moving in that direction," he added.
Front offices rarely ignore brewing issues. This explains Staios’ confidence in the new signings. But how much Elkund and Burakovsky can cover for what Tkachuk did on the offensive line, and who will wear the captain's C, will be a thrilling watch.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by
Deblina Roy