Brady Tkachuk is gone, and the Ottawa Senators are done pretending otherwise heading into training camp next Wednesday.
The former captain was dealt to the Florida Panthers in June for four draft picks, and the fallout hung over Tuesday's charity golf tournament at Rideau View.
"You want guys to be here. You want guys to want to be part of this team," alternate captain Thomas Chabot said. "I'd be lying if I said I was happy when he decided to leave."
Chabot posted 31 points in 57 games this season, and he's the club's longest-serving player at 29 years old.
Drake Batherson didn't hide his own feelings on losing Tkachuk from the room. He backed up 71 points in 79 games this season.
"He stuck up for a lot of guys, and he was great for this franchise," Batherson said. "We're going to have to figure it out pretty quick."
Ottawa finished 44-27-11 for 99 points this season, ninth overall, and enters camp on a one-game winning streak.
Sanderson, Chabot, or Stutzle. Who gets the captaincy?
The Senators are walking into the season without anyone wearing the C, and GM Steve Staios isn't rushing the call.
"I don't think that's anything that we want to rush into. It's an important decision," Staios said.
Jake Sanderson, Chabot, and Tim Stutzle are the names circulating as the top three candidates in league circles.
Sanderson posted 54 points in 67 games this season with a plus-16 rating, while Stutzle led the group with 83 points in 80 games.
Giving Claude Giroux the C for a single season has also come up in conversation, though that route raises its own questions about the future.
William Eklund arrives via trade from San Jose to fill part of the void, posting 53 points in 78 games before landing in Ottawa.
Ottawa opens the season October 3 against Toronto, then Tkachuk returns to Ottawa with Florida on October 21. That date alone guarantees this story isn't actually over.
Should Thomas Chabot be named the next Senators captain?
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