Brady Tkachuk asked out of Ottawa, and the Senators are reportedly still planning a tribute video for him anyway.
Sun columnist Bruce Garrioch reported this week that Ottawa intends to honor its former captain despite how his exit actually went down.
Tkachuk requested a trade out of Ottawa, and the Senators eventually sent him to the Florida Panthers, reuniting him with his brother Matthew.
Florida closed last season 40-38-4, good for 25th overall, but finished the year riding a three-game winning streak into the offseason.
That's the part making this decision so divisive. A tribute video usually closes the book gently. This situation never really got a clean ending.
Is honoring a captain who wanted out actually the right move, or does it just look awkward once the cameras start rolling?
Ottawa clearly still values what Tkachuk gave the franchise, and the numbers back that up.
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Senators Fans Won't Believe What Ottawa Has Planned for Brady Tkachuk's Return
He put up 22 goals and 37 assists for 59 points in 60 games this past season, still one of the most productive power forwards in the league.
He also chipped in 8 points over his final ten games there, proof the production never really slowed down before the trade went through.
Matthew Tkachuk, his new Florida teammate, missed a chunk of last season himself, playing just 31 games while dealing with his own absence.
Together they give the Panthers a sibling pairing most rosters in the league simply can't match up front.
Ottawa, meanwhile, closed last season 44-27-11, good for ninth overall, a real step forward for a franchise that spent years rebuilding.
GM Steve Staios and the Ottawa front office are the ones stuck managing the fallout, honoring a captain while insisting the rebuild is still trending the right way.
It's a bit like throwing a going away party for a coworker who transferred departments to get away from the boss. Generous, sure, but everyone remembers why he left.
Losing a captain mid-turnaround is never simple, tribute video or not. Fans get to decide if this gesture reads as classy or just a little tone deaf.
My take: skipping the ceremony would have looked worse than running it. Ottawa's making the right call here, even if the timing feels strange.
Nothing about this replaces what Tkachuk brought to that locker room. A ceremony can honor a captain without answering why he wanted to leave in the first place.
Is honoring Brady Tkachuk with a tribute video the right move for the Senators?
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