NHL Rumors: Tkachuk Frustrated, Sundin to Maple Leafs, Doughty and Kings

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Ottawa Senators are dealing with growing noise around Brady Tkachuk, who unfortunately didn’t really settle things in his media availability on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs are waiting on a major front-office decision involving Mats Sundin. Will that decision determine who the next general manager is? Finally, the Los Angeles Kings will need a new captain, and one player has stepped up. There are also injuries and contract questions with some of the other players on the roster.

Tkachuk Frustrated With Ongoing Trade Speculation

Brady Tkachuk addressed the media this week, avoiding questions about his poor play in the first round but noting that he was clearly irritated by continued speculation that he wants out of Ottawa. The Senators’ captain said he’s never said he wants to leave and noted the continued narrative is a growing distraction.

To his credit, Tkachuk has never publicly requested a trade or hinted at a desire to leave. However, skepticism persists because his brother Matthew left Calgary, and his father, Keith Tkachuk, often raised eyebrows with his comments. There continues to be this underlying eeriness that he’s unlikely to stick it out.

Ironically, Tkachuk’s visible frustration may only fuel further speculation. While he appears to be trying to shut down the narrative on the surface, some may interpret his comments as a sign he’s grown tired of the noise. Alternatively, it could be that he was happy to deflect scrutiny of his own lackluster play by pointing fingers at the media or fans trying to stir things up. “It’s a cop out,” said Bryan Hayes of TSN’s OverDrive show.

Maple Leafs Waiting on Sundin Decision

The Maple Leafs are reportedly in serious talks with Mats Sundin about a prominent role within the organization. According to insider Elliotte Friedman, Toronto has pitched him on becoming Vice President of Hockey Operations, though details are still being finalized. At this point, it sounds like the Leafs are simply waiting for Sundin to accept the position.

Reports suggest that if Sundin agrees, the Leafs could also bring in former Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka. Chayka has been out of the NHL for some time, having left the Coyotes and the league under less-than-ideal circumstances. The questions about why the Maple Leafs have settled on Sundin and Chayka, how Chayka was the best candidate the search firm Toronto hired to help could come up with, and why the pairing is the go-to option will be front and center and require an explanation.

The delay on Sundin appears tied to several factors, including his lack of front-office experience and the logistics of relocating from Sweden. There’s also ongoing discussion about how involved he would be in decision-making, ranging from advisory duties to a more hands-on leadership role.

Kings Eye Laughton Extension, Byfield Injury, and Doughty Wants Captaincy

The Los Angeles Kings are evaluating several key roster decisions. Forward Scott Laughton has expressed a strong interest in re-signing after a solid showing following his trade to Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Quinton Byfield is recovering from a pair of oblique injuries suffered after the Olympic break. The good news is surgery isn’t expected, and he should be ready to resume training later this offseason.

With longtime captain Anze Kopitar now retiring, leadership questions are beginning to surface in Los Angeles. Veteran defenseman Drew Doughty has made it clear he wants the role and is looking to spend his entire career with the Kings organization.

Doughty admitted that becoming captain wasn’t always on his radar but it’s now something he deeply values. He appears to be a natural successor and it will be intriguing to see if there will be extension talks along with the organization giving him the ‘C’.