The Ottawa Senators have traded Brady Tkachuk, but the team is not planning a rebuild. Instead, the Senators want to use the assets from the trade to improve the roster and stay competitive.

The 2026 NHL Draft is getting closer, and Ottawa now owns valuable draft picks. Because of that, many people believe the Senators could be very active in the trade market over the next few days.

According to a Sportsnet report, general manager Steve Staios said on Monday that the team does not plan to move backward after trading its captain. Staios also said many teams have shown interest in the No. 9 and No. 25 picks Ottawa received from the Florida Panthers, and the Senators are looking at different options.

“I have no intention of this team taking a step back. We're active, and we're open,” Staios said as per Sportsnet.

These comments suggest Ottawa could use some of its new draft picks in future trades instead of using all of them at the draft. Staios also said teams have shown strong interest in the picks since the Tkachuk trade became official.

The Senators have reached the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and want to keep moving forward. The team does not seem to view these draft picks as part of a rebuild. Instead, Ottawa wants to use them to improve the current roster and stay competitive in the Eastern Conference.

With the NHL Draft and offseason coming soon, the Senators could still make more big moves.

Tkachuk's Trade Request Changed Ottawa's Direction

In the same Sportsnet report, Steve Staios explained how the Brady Tkachuk trade happened. He said Tkachuk told the Senators soon after the season ended that he wanted to be traded. That put the team in a difficult position.

Staios said Tkachuk first gave the team a list of four teams he would consider. Later, he reduced that list to just one team. That made it harder for Ottawa to negotiate with other clubs. Even so, Staios believes the Senators got the best possible return.

The trade sent Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers. In return, Ottawa received the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in 2027, and a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2029.

Staios said he felt during the season that something might be wrong, but he wanted to keep building the team with Tkachuk as captain. Tkachuk leaves Ottawa after scoring 213 goals and adding 250 assists in 572 regular-season games. He also helped the Senators end their long playoff drought.

The trade ends an important chapter for the franchise. However, it also gives Ottawa valuable assets that could help improve the roster in the coming months.

Losing Brady Tkachuk is a big setback, but the Senators want to use the trade return to help the team right away. The next few days could show how aggressive Ottawa plans to be as it looks to stay competitive.

What do you think>? What type of player should the Senators try to acquire? Comment down below. 

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Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi