NY Rangers Expected To Take Swing at Senators Star if Available

Expect the New York Rangers to pursue an Ottawa Senators star if he is made available in a trade.

Dec 4, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) shoots the puck on New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) during the first period at Canadian Tire Centre. / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers are going to be on the hunt for impact players this offseason to help improve a team that finished last in the Eastern Conference with only 77 points.

Some help will be on the way via the 2026 NHL Draft, where the Rangers own two first-round picks, including one that will be inside the top five. That will add a high-end prospect to what is an emerging group of young contributors.

While restocking the depth on the roster is imperative, New York also needs to add a top-six forward to the mix. A way to accomplish that would be to make a trade, and one player who could become available is Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators.

Trade rumors have swirled around the Senators' captain and his future with the franchise. They have gotten loud enough that he recently made comments about it, expressing frustration about something he has never said.

Rangers would be willing to take swing on Brady Tkachuk in trade

Apr 18, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) reacts against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. / James Guillory-Imagn Images

Tkachuk certainly sounded like a player who was committed to Ottawa for at least the 2026-27 season, but his future remains in limbo until he puts pen to paper on an extension. However, if there are any truths to the rumors that he could be traded, expect the Rangers to make a push.

“If Tkachuk ever shakes free, New York is expected to take a swing. “I think that’s a real thing,” said one Eastern Conference executive,” wrote Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required).

This should come as no surprise, given how enamored the Rangers have been with Tkachuk for years. That goes back to when he was drafted in 2018, as revealed by a former scout with the team to Mercogliano.

“We talked about Brady since he was 15 years old,” that scout revealed.

Brady Tkachuk clears the air about his future with the Senators, claiming that trade rumours are "becoming a distraction." pic.twitter.com/kwTMicmqrf

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 29, 2026

Now, eight years later since he was selected No. 4 overall by the Senators, New York would love to have a chance to bring Tkachuk in again. In 2018, the current president and general manager, Chris Drury, was an assistant general manager in the organization.

He has visions of the Rangers being a physical team that blends skill and grit perfectly on the ice. In many people’s opinions, there aren’t too many players who combine those two attributes better than Tkachuk.

Should Ottawa make him available, it would surprise no one if New York is at the front of the line to make a competitive offer for the talented left winger.

Turning only 27 years old on Sept. 16, he would address a lot of what the team needs. But it won’t be cheap to pry him away from the Senators.