The Ottawa Senators remain in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race as the NHL resumes after the Olympic break.
Ottawa improved to 29-22-8 after a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario on Saturday, sitting five points off a wild-card spot.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk had an assist in the victory, while forwards Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each scored twice, with defenseman Thomas Chabot also scoring.
Tkachuk’s name has resurfaced in the rumor mill after Team USA earned gold at the Winter Games with a 2-1 overtime win over Team Canada.
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Americans' celebrations sparked attention and created discussion about Tkachuk's long-term future in Ottawa, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman addressed the rumors directly and said there's no move coming.
“Zero and zero on those two,” Friedman said, referring to both Tkachuk and Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who captained the American squad. “I mean, he’s the captain of the Senators. He’s a great captain for the Senators. He’s not going anywhere.”
Tkachuk had three goals and two assists in six games at the Olympics. With Ottawa, he has 39 points (15 goals and 24 assists) in 39 games this season.
An AI-generated video of Tkachuk circulated online after the Olympics, but he dismissed it shortly after.
“Well, it's clearly fake, because it's not my voice, not my lips moving, so. I'm not in control of any of those accounts, and I know that those words would never come out of my mouth. So, I can't do anything about it,” Tkachuk said. “That’s not even something that’s crossed my mind. I love playing for this team, I love the guys in this room, I really believe in what we’re all about, and that thought has never crossed my mind.”
Tkachuk is under contract through 2028 with an $8.2 million cap hit. Ottawa travels to Rogers Place on Tuesday to face the Edmonton Oilers at 9 p.m. ET.