As Brady Tkachuk prepares to begin a new life with the Florida Panthers, he has a chance to play with his older brother on a star-studded team that he hopes can help him win a Stanley Cup ring.
When asked by a fan on his podcast this week which Panthers star he'd most like to play with this season, he sounded like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Nobody's more excited than me,” Tkachuk said. “I legit can't wait. And you know what? Whatever coach thinks is best for the team, Brady's going to do.”
“There are so many great players. You look at the roster, and I'll be happy to play with him. I'd be happy to play with him. I'd be lucky to play with him.”
But with all those excellent forwards, Tkachuk may also be in for an adjustment because he may not always be the go-to guy.
He spent his entire NHL career in Ottawa as one of the most important players on the roster. He was the captain, played on the top line, was always on the first power-play unit and was given plenty of freedom.
Things will probably be quite different in Florida.
Tkachuk is joining a team where he's not the leader. He left a team that was his for one where the leadership is already firmly established, and one of the Panthers has been leading Brady for his entire life.
Now, when it's time for the Panthers to go on the power play and rack up some points, his presence on the first unit isn't automatic the way it was in Ottawa.
Just look at the forwards he'll be sharing the ice with: Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell.
With so many star forwards, it means top power-play opportunities will have to be shared, which he rarely had to do in Ottawa. Whether the unit was struggling or not, Tkachuk was out there.
Now, if he's on the top unit and struggles, the leash surely won't be as long because the Panthers have plenty of players who can step in without much trouble.
Barkov is one of the NHL's elite centres. Reinhart had 61 points in only 64 games last season. Bennett had 58, Verhaeghe 55 and Marchand 54 in just 52 games. Matthew Tkachuk had 34 points despite playing only 31 games.
Not only are they high performers and eager to get as much power play time as possible, but they also helped Paul Maurice win Stanley Cups.
Beyond crashing a few Panthers parties, Brady wasn't part of those wins at all. He's the new guy. So nothing will be given.
To quote former Senator Dany Heatley, Tkachuk can probably count on a diminished role this season, at least when it comes to status, power-play time and offensive freedom.
And as a result, with a chance to sign an extension next summer, he might also be risking a dip in production and money.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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