Rangers Daily: Let Brady Tkachuk rumors begin; Brent Burns set for 1k milestone
Let’s start with this: It’d be pretty damn cool if Brady Tkachuk played for the New York Rangers.
The swagger. The skill. The physicality. The leadership.
Oh, and the Ottawa Senators captain is only 26 years old.
The Blueshirts Faifthul has salivated over Tkachuk for years now, hopping on every crumb of a trade rumor like a starving beast. There was even an unexpected turn of events a year ago when Senators owner Michael Andlauer accused the Rangers of “soft tampering,” perhaps back-channeling Tkachuk trade rumors with the media.
Nothing other than some sore feelings came out of that. And Tkachuk shot down any interest on his part about wanting to leave Ottawa — for New York or anywhere else.
But rumors — and controversy — tend to follow Brady and Matthew Tkachuk around. And the latest dose of each came out of the “Wingmen” podcast earlier this week, fueled by their father, former NHL star Keith Tkachuk.
Brady’s dad and brother stirred the pot on the podcast about why his ice time is down by over a full minute this season, and how he’s being misused down the stretch by the Senators, who are in a four-way tie for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, with seven games to play.
Now, Brady didn’t add to their commentary. But it’s difficult to believe that the Tkachuk family discussed this topic for the first time on a podcast. Surely, it’s been discussed behind the scenes, right?
Keith and Matthew took shots at Ottawa coach Travis Green, who, in turn, referred to it all as “white noise.” It just comes with the territory with the Tkachuks.
But this will stoke the trade rumors once again. And surely the Rangers will pop up as a likely destination for a game- and cultural-changing player. Again.
For the record, Tkachuk has two seasons remaining on a contract that pays him $8.2 million annually. And the Senators remain adamant that he’s not going anywhere.
There are J.T, Miller similarities here, except that Brady Tkachuk is a younger version of the Rangers captain. It’s intriguing and fun to dream on him wearing the Blueshirt.
However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The best chance to land him, if at all, feels like in free agency in 2028. But enjoy the roller-coaster ride with all the rumors and speculation.
Rangers news and analysis
What could be Jonathan Quick’s final start this season — and in the NHL — is among the key Rangers storylines when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
In his recent interview on the Rink Rap podcast, former Rangers goalie and current NHL analyst Marty Biron raised the question as to whether the Blueshirts need to follow through and trade Vincent Trocheck this offseason. It leads to an interesting debate, for sure.
Coach Mike Sullivan goes into significant detail to explain why he’s so impressed with Rangers rookie defenseman Drew Fortescue.
So, what was the key to Will Cuylle ending his 13-game goal drought the other night against the Montreal Canadiens?
NHL news and rumors
NHL.com: Brent Burns becomes only the second player in NHL history to play 1,000 consecutive games, when the Colorado Avalanche visit the Dallas Stars on Saturday. Here’s a really good inside look into Burns and his journey ahead of this milestone, by Nick Cotsonika.
NYI Hockey Now: Who feels a collapse taking place on Long Island? Make it three straight regulation losses for the Islanders, whose grip on third-place in the Metro and a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference continues to slip. Pat Pickens with the latest on Islanders woes after 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Philly Hockey Now: On the flip side, William James breaks down what was a hugely important victory for the Flyers, who are a couple tiebreakers away from being in a playoff spot in the East.
Sportsnet: Nick Kypreos examines all things Maple Leafs after Brad Treliving was fired as general manager, including where a possible Matthew Knies trade this offseason stands, and what’s the possibility that Chris Pronger joins the management team in Toronto.
TSN: Damon Severson had shoulder surgery this week and the Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman is out for the rest of the season.
PWHL Now: The first-ever PWHL game at Madison Square Garden takes place Saturday night, when the New York Sirens host the Seattle Torrent. Lou Orlando tees this one up, including why the return of former Sirens stars Alex Carpenter and Corinne Schroeder add intrigue to this highly anticipated sold-out contest at MSG.
