Michael Andlauer reveals unexpected Keith and Matthew Tkachuk angle in Brady's Ottawa exit
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Senators owner Michael Andlauer got candid about Brady Tkachuk's summer departure, hinting family played a bigger role than anyone realized.
Michael Andlauer isn't holding much back these days, and his latest comments about Brady Tkachuk's exit from Ottawa are proof of that.
The Senators owner sat down for an interview this week and addressed the elephant in the room, the surprise summer trade that sent his longtime captain packing for Florida after eight seasons in a Sens jersey.
Andlauer didn't dodge the family angle either.
He made it pretty clear that Keith and Matthew Tkachuk had more influence on Brady's decision than most fans probably assumed, framing it almost like family gravity finally won out over everything Ottawa tried to build around him.
Why the timing still stings for Ottawa
The trade landed just as the Senators were starting to feel like a real playoff contender again after years of rebuilding.
Tkachuk had been the face of the franchise since he was handed the captaincy back in 2021, and losing him right as the roster was finally trending up left a lot of fans genuinely blindsided.
Andlauer's comments suggest the front office saw this coming from a mile away, even if there was nothing they could do to stop it once family got involved.
Pierre LeBrun, who's covered Andlauer closely all year, was the one who got the owner talking, and it's not the first time he's been unusually open about the Tkachuk situation.
"Blood is thicker than water, and let's just say that his father and his brother got in his kitchen.”
- Michael Andlauer
- Michael Andlauer
What this means for the Tkachuk brothers going forward
Brady now lines up alongside Matthew in Florida, giving the Panthers one of the scariest sibling duos hockey has ever seen.
For Ottawa, the rebuild continues without the guy who was supposed to be its cornerstone for years to come, and Andlauer's words this week make it clear just how personal this situation got behind the scenes.
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