After the Ottawa Senators were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it helped the St. Louis Blues' future plans. The prophecy of bringing one of the Tkachuk brothers back home might finally come true.
The debate of whether to go for older brother Matthew, or younger, Brady, has been argued for years. But, with this most recent stinker by the Sens in the playoffs, and particularly by their captain, it might be time for a change up in Ontario.
David Pagnotta: I think there's a good chance the Sens explore trading Brady Tkachuk this summer - Hello Hockey (4/25)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) April 26, 2026
Can the Blues figure out a way to bring Brady home?
A tall order for Steen
When Free Agency begins on July 1, Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong will hand over the keys to Alexander Steen and that will be that. Then, every decision going forward will be apart of the Steen Era.
That could mean trading for Tkachuk, which is a very tall order. Tkachuk just finished the fifth year of a seven-year deal, worth an AAV of $8,205,714. As mentioned above, he is the Senators captain, meaning it is going to take a good chunk to get him.
The Blues do have a bit of a helping hand here, but it is going to be tricky. Should the Red Wings draft selection in the first-round move up a bit, or stay where it is at No. 15, the Blues will have two picks in the top 15. There could be a case of moving for Tkachuk before Draft Night, and dealing those two higher-picks for him, and a player on the roster like Nathan Walker or Pius Suter.
Remember, Ottawa was panalized and is now picking 32nd in the first-round of this year's draft. They are going to want to try and get some draft capital back.
If the Blues have to get rid of a part of their core, that is another option. One first-round pick and Jordan Kyrou might be enough bait for Ottawa to lure out their captain. Colton Parayko is another option here, aside from Kyrou, but that also means dealing with the No-Trade Clause drama again.
Tkachuk would be an absolute perfect fit into this Blues team. He is a valuable center, who has that same rough-and-tough style as his father, Keith, when he donned the Blue Note for nine seasons.
This summer is going to be a long one, but the Blues offseason plans have now shifted to one focus. Bring Brady home, and watch him flourish.
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