Shane Pinto is still adjusting to life without Brady Tkachuk in the Ottawa Senators room.
Ottawa sent Tkachuk, their captain and longtime franchise face, to the Florida Panthers this summer in a deal that brought back three first-round picks and a second-rounder.
Pinto told TSN1200 this week the trade caught everyone off guard, admitting he first heard the news breaking on Father's Day of all days.
Pinto put up 46 points in 72 games this season, having played all six of his NHL seasons alongside Tkachuk before the trade finally broke that streak.
"He's been such a big part of this organization, obviously the face of it, and one of my good buds too, so to see him go, it sucks," Pinto said.
Pinto didn't dodge the topic in the interview, addressing the trade directly and how it's landed inside Ottawa's room.
https://www.tsn.ca/radio/ottawa-1200/sens/article/the-drive-shane-pinto-itll-be-different-playing-on-front-of-fans-in-golf-than-hockey/
Why Ottawa will see plenty of Tkachuk this season
Tkachuk put up 59 points in 60 games this season before the move, and he'll now line up alongside brother Matthew, who added 34 points in just 31 games himself.
Florida and Ottawa share a division, meaning the two teams face off four times a year, plenty of chances for Pinto to see his old captain up close.
Pinto made clear there's no hard feelings, saying business is business and that Tkachuk simply wanted a different path for his career.
Coach Travis Green now inherits a room without its longtime captain, and how Ottawa handles that leadership void will shape the season as much as any trade return.
"You just want guys who want to try to win for the Ottawa Senators," Pinto said.
Whatever comes next for Ottawa, that search for identity starts now, without its former face of the franchise.
Did the Senators get enough back for trading Brady Tkachuk?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Stan Bowman is about to finalize a franchise-defining deal for the Edmonton Oilers
