When the news came down that Brady Tkachuk would miss 6-to-8 weeks after undergoing thumb surgery, many felt the Ottawa Senators were in big trouble. A sluggish start, even with their captain, was tough to begin with, then taking him out of the lineup, and it got a little tense in the nation’s capital.
However, in spite of that adversity, the Senators have shown resiliency, going 8-4-4 in Tkachuk’s absence, keeping themselves right in the thick of the playoff picture as he embarks on a return during their upcoming road trip.
Given the recent success and Tkachuk’s impending return, the guys on TSN’s “OverDrive” suggested that general manager Steve Staois get aggressive. That talk led to guest and former NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau pitching Ottawa to target Capitals star Tom Wilson.
“If you could get Tom Wilson from the Caps, when Brady comes back, they have a playoff team that can win… If you had to give up two number one’s or three number one’s, if you thought you had a chance to win it, I would do it. But that’s me, and that’s why I’m not a GM,” Boudreau said.
The 31-year-old Wilson is in the second season of the seven-year, $45.5 million extension he signed to stay in Washington back in 2023. He’s off to a great start to the campaign, with 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in his first 18 games played.
Is Wilson Becoming Available a Possibility?
Quite frankly, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Capitals would be willing to part with Wilson, who is the heart and soul of their team.
Tom Wilson trade talk
Washington currently sits at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division with a 9-8-2 record, but given how bunched up the standings are, the playoffs remain well within reach.
The only way the Caps would consider listening to inquiries on Wilson is if they fall far out of the race for the postseason, especially if they know this is Alex Ovechkin’s final season, marking the end of an era.
Even so, the odds of that happening are slim, and the Senators would need to absolutely overwhelm general manager Chris Patrick with an offer he can’t refuse, much like Boudreau mentioned.
While it makes perfect sense for Ottawa to go all-in on improving its roster, they’ll likely have to look somewhere other than Washington to find that missing piece.
