Brady Tkachuk trade continues concerning trend for Canadian NHL teams

The Ottawa Senators made one of the first major blockbuster moves of the NHL offseason on Sunday when they traded their captain, Brady Tkachuk, to the Florida Panthers to reunite him with his brother, Matthew Tkachuk.

It strengthens an already strong Panthers team that figures to seriously compete for the Stanley Cup next season, and leaves the Senators in a situation where it has a massive hole in their lineup, but with some intriguing trade chips to maybe fill it.

But for as big as the trade is for both the Senators and Panthers, it is an even bigger story for the NHL's seven Canadian franchises and their ability to keep star players on their rosters.

There is a concerning trend developing for them, and it doesn't seem to be going away. 

NHL star players are forcing their way onto American-based teams

While there is a sensible hockey argument for the Senators moving Tkachuk (capitalizing on a player whose perceived value may have exceeded his on-ice value, stockpiling draft picks for another big move, etc.) there is really only one reason the trade got made: The Senators feared, and perhaps even knew, that Tkachuk was not going to re-sign with the team when his contract expired in two years.

Rather than deal with the distraction that storyline would have caused, and rather than risk seeing Tkachuk's trade value decrease as the end of his contract became closer, they acted now when his value was still at its highest point. Or at least close to it.

Given that Tkachuk had complete veto power over any trade, he could pretty much dictate where he went and reportedly gave the Senators a list of four teams that included Florida, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Minnesota Wild. 

Florida was the obvious fit given the presence of his brother. 

But the overall list was also telling.

All American-based teams.

Three of them in warmer weather climates, and two of them in states without state income tax (Nevada and Florida)

Three of them with players that played with Tkachuk in the Olympics.

He had the power to dictate where he went, and he utilized it. 

This is a growing trend among players in the NHL, and especially those on Canadian teams. 

Matthew Tkachuk really got the ball rolling with this a few years ago when he made it clear he did not want to sign long-term with the Calgary Flames, initiating the trade that sent him to Florida (that same offseason Johnny Gaudreau also left the Flames in free agency to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets).

It is really starting to pick up steam over the past year.

During that time, we saw Mitch Marner leave the Toronto Maple Leafs to end up with the Golden Knights, while the Vancouver Canucks traded superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes to Minnesota when it became clear he would not be signing a contract extension there. 

Now the other Tkachuk is on his way to Florida.

There are multiple layers to this, ranging from players exercising their power more than they ever have before, in a way that is similar to NBA and NFL stars, to the fact they can get more money with the American dollar versus the Canadian dollar. And that does not even get into the potential tax-free states, the climate factor and also just wanting to play in situations where they feel they have a better chance to win.

Now the question becomes if it all continues and where it ends.

Connor Hellebuyck seems unhappy with the Winnipeg Jets.

Auston Matthews opted for a four-year contract with Toronto two years ago instead of a max-term deal and now only has two years remaining.

Connor McDavid only signed a two-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers on his most recent contract and has a free agency looming after the 2027-28 season, the same year that Matthews will be eligible. 

How confident should any of those teams and fan bases be in those players staying? Recent history is starting to suggest not very.