Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot feels slighted by Brady Tkachuk's exit, though he respects his former teammate's decision to request a trade.
"We always (feel slighted)," Chabot told reporters Tuesday. "You want guys to be here. You want guys to want to be part of this team and part of this city. So, when you see something like that, obviously I'd be lying if I said I was happy when he decided to leave. No, that's not true.
"He's a heck of a hockey player, and you want guys to stick around. We felt like we're on the verge of kinda starting to make playoffs and building something. And you know what? That was his decision. I bet you he stands by it, and we'll stand behind it as well. Like, I don't hold anything against Brady. He was a good friend of mine. You just wish him the best in Florida."
Tkachuk requested a trade before being dealt in June to the Florida Panthers, who also roster his older brother, Matthew. Tkachuk was teammates with Chabot for his entire eight-season tenure in Ottawa. The Senators have lost in the first round of the playoffs in consecutive years and were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes last season.
Chabot said he called Tkachuk after the trade and wished him the best of luck.
"He's a helluva guy and a helluva teammate, but you know what, we take pride in what we have here in Ottawa as a team and as a group, and we are building toward something that I believe's gonna be a great thing with lots of talent and a very good team," Chabot said. "So, if you don't wanna be here, and you wanted a change of scenery, then that's fine. But obviously, we wanna focus on what we have here."
Meanwhile, forward Tim Stutzle admitted he was "pretty surprised" that Tkachuk requested a trade.
"At the end, it's his decision, nothing we can do about that," he said. "I said before, we're moving on and I'm excited for the future."
