Stutzle Says Senators Have to Move On Without Tkachuk

Tim Stutzle isn't looking backward.

Speaking Friday at the NHL/NHLPA European Player Media Tour in Munich, the Ottawa Senators center said the club has to move past the departure of former captain Brady Tkachuk, who was traded to the Florida Panthers on June 21.

"It's his decision," Stutzle told reporters. "There's nothing we can do about it. For me, he was always a great teammate and, obviously, a great hockey player and we're going to miss him. He was always there for me. But at the end of the day, we've got to move on."

Ottawa sent Tkachuk to Florida, where he now plays alongside his brother Matthew, in exchange for the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in 2027 and a conditional first-round pick in 2029. The Senators then flipped the No. 9 pick to San Jose for forward William Eklund, and later added forward Andre Burakovsky from Chicago and goalie Samuel Ersson from Toronto.

Stutzle said he didn't know Tkachuk had requested the trade beforehand, noting that teammates generally don't discuss those conversations. "I love Ottawa and I want to be there for as long as I can," he said. "That's none of my business."

The Senators have qualified for the playoffs the past two seasons but haven't won a series. Stutzle said he believes the group's leadership can absorb Tkachuk's absence without leaning on one replacement. "I think we always had great leaders in the room, so there's not one guy who has to be the guy," he said.

Ottawa will see Tkachuk and the Panthers for the first time since the trade when Florida visits Canadian Tire Centre on Oct. 21.