The team Brady Tkachuk refused to join before his blockbuster trade has been revealed





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Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (8) chase the puck in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images

Brady Tkachuk refused to play for at least one NHL team before his trade to the Florida Panthers.

Tkachuk didn’t want to end up in St. Louis, a revelation that says plenty about his true intentions.

The information comes from The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford.

“The Senators’ Brady Tkachuk didn’t want to come to St. Louis,” the reporter said, revealing one destination the forward had ruled out.

It shows just how limited the Ottawa Senators were in this situation.

When a player closes the door on a city, it limits a team’s options in trade talks. And the fact that Tkachuk ruled out the St. Louis Blues – a club his father knows extremely well – says plenty.

Rutherford also mentioned another name in the same discussion.

Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson also came up in offseason talks. But let’s get back to Tkachuk!

Brady Tkachuk’s situation highlights the leverage star players can hold in trade negotiations

These revelations show just how complicated blockbuster trades can be.

Player preferences, no-trade lists and rejected cities all make negotiations more difficult.

“There were conflicting reports about whether the Stars’ Jason Robertson was interested.”

– Jeremy Rutherford, the Athletic

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to believe Brady Tkachuk when he says he didn’t “force” the Senators to trade him specifically to the Florida Panthers.

Whether or not Tkachuk explicitly demanded Florida, the emerging details suggest he had more influence over the process than he initially acknowledged.

Brady Tkachuk, 26, has recorded 463 points in 572 NHL games, along with 821 penalty minutes.

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The team Brady Tkachuk refused to join before his blockbuster trade has been revealed

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