If Ottawa continues to underachieve, though, the questions will persist. The no-movement clause in Tkachuk’s contract kicks in on July 1, and it’s ultimately on the Senators to build a team that will prove Tkachuk right in committing and reaffirming his loyalty to the franchise.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk broke the silence after the recent trade rumors linking him to the New York Rangers.

Brady Tkachuk and the Senators are saying all the right things, yet if the team miss the playoffs again, how much longer will the captain remain patient?

Josh Norris has long been considered a key piece of the Ottawa Senators’ core, but in the midst of another difficult season in Canada’s capital, the center could be on the trade block ahead of the March 7 deadline.

Tkachuk revealed that Senators general manager Steve Staios had personally reassured him there was no validity to the rumors, which the player said "didn't even see" when they popped up following a report by Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

Getting a bruising forward like Tkachuk would absolutely be a whopper of a deal. But Sens VP of communications Ian Mendes had a very funny response, posting a picture of the synonyms for “whopper,” very much implying that it was an “untruth.”