Hours before their season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Ottawa Senators announced Thursday that they have signed forward Brady Tkachuk to a seven-year, $57.5 million contract extension. Tkachuk, who has led the Senators in scoring each of the past two seasons, will earn an average of $8.214 million annually.
Tkachuk, the No. 4-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, son of NHL great Keith Tkachuk and brother of Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk, is now linked to Ottawa through the 2027-28 season.
"This is an exciting day for the Ottawa Senators," read a statement by Senators general manager Pierre Dorion. "Brady possesses a very dynamic skill set and is a prototypical power forward in today's NHL. He scores goals, he plays physical and exemplifies what it means to be a pro for all players in our organization."
Tkachuk, an NHL All-Star in 2020, has quickly risen through the ranks of notable Senators players, as he is already one of just 29 players in franchise history to have scored 60 goals in his career. Last season, Tkachuk was the Senators' leading scorer with 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) while also leading the team in penalty minutes (69). Tkachuk has played in 198 career games (194 consecutively), and has 60 career goals and 65 assists.
"We're thrilled to come to a long-term agreement with Brady," read a statement by Senators owner and governor Eugene Melnyk. "He's a valuable member of our leadership group, is universally respected by his teammates and a player we're certain will have a significant impact on our success in the seasons ahead."
The Senators enter the 2021-22 season looking to build on their 2020-21, which saw them trade away several veteran players in favor of a younger squad. The Senators finished sixth in the NHL North with a 23-28-5 record, but finished the year 10-3-1 to keep their playoff hopes alive until May.
