The Senators captain said it has been frustrating having to constantly discuss his future with the team in a media availability on Wednesday.
“I feel like I’ve answered this hundreds of times. I feel like I’ve never shown or said any of those things,” Tkachuk said. “Honestly, it’s just getting frustrating. It’s becoming a distraction because I have been fully committed to this team, to the city, and it’s just becoming a distraction, frustrating to deal with.”
The 26-year-old had an up-and-down season with 59 points (22 goals, 37 assists) in 60 games, but he failed to tally a point in the playoffs as the Senators suffered a first-round sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. He also missed time during the season with a fully torn ligament in his thumb.
General manager Steve Staios echoed the sentiments of his captain when asked about the Tkachuk speculation at his season-end press conference on Monday.
“Well, it’s nonsense is what it is,” Staios said. “And it depends on what week and what fanbase it’s coming from.”
Tkachuk was a member of the 2026 Olympic gold-medal-winning United States team, notching three goals and two assists across six tournament games.
The Scottsdale, Ariz., native was selected fourth overall by Ottawa in the 2018 NHL Draft. He has 213 goals and 463 points in 572 career games.
Tkachuk still has two years remaining on his seven-year, $57.56 million contract he signed before the 2021 season. When asked about potentially looking to get a new deal done before his current contract ends, he said it is too early to look into that.
“I just think the extension talk is just a year away, so that’s something you physically cannot do any time soon,” Tkachuk said. “I would talk to Steve when we have that conversation about where he views our team, what he thinks we need to improve on and what I need to improve on myself, not just as a player but as a captain. Obviously, I’m excited to hear Steve’s thoughts and where he thinks we can improve.”
Tkachuk and the Senators have reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs two years in a row, but have lost in the first round both times. The Senators captain has recorded four goals and seven points in 10 career post-season games.
Despite the tough end to the season, Tkachuk said he remains confident in the team’s direction.
“Everything is very dampened by how the playoffs went, but I think in the grand scheme of things, there’s a lot that we dealt with as a group and how we handled the adversity,” Tkachuk said. “I was really proud of that, where you can easily make an excuse, throw in the towel and say that injuries happen. The fact we made up all that ground and got into this position was good.
“It was a goal to get in the playoffs. But at the end of the day, we didn’t get what we truly wanted and that’s the Stanley Cup. Obviously, that does dampen it. It is frustrating for me because that’s all I want to do is win a Stanley Cup.”
