Brad Marchand publicly mocks Tim Stutzle after major news comes out of Ottawa

Tim Stutzle is one of three finalists to become the next Ottawa Senators captain, and Brad Marchand cannot stop laughing about it.

The Senators have been without a captain since June, when Brady Tkachuk requested a trade and was shipped to the Florida Panthers in a deal that brought back four draft picks.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the club is closing in on a final decision, with Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Stutzle believed to be the three names still in the mix, and an announcement expected before training camp opens on September 16.

Puck Empire posted the update on social media, asking fans who they believed should get the C.

That is when Marchand, now Tkachuk's teammate in Florida, jumped into the replies with a reaction that instantly went viral.

It is no secret Marchand has a long history of chirping around the league, but this one lands differently given the timing.

Stutzle has quietly become Ottawa's most productive forward, leading the team in scoring last season and locked into a long term deal that runs into the next decade.

He has also been outspoken about wanting the franchise to move past the Tkachuk saga.

Still, the idea of Stutzle as a captain candidate clearly amused Marchand, and it is easy to see why some in the hockey world are treating this as nothing more than a rival having some fun at another player's expense.

The Senators are not expected to drag this out much longer.

Whether it ends up being Stutzle, Chabot or Sanderson, the pressure is on Steve Staios and Travis Green to get the choice right after how the Tkachuk era ended.

Also read on House Of Hockey :
Patrick Marleau's wife makes startling claim about Evander Kane