Should the Senators re-sign Adam Gaudette? Would Brady Tkachuk want out? Mailbag

It’s time for another edition of the Ottawa Senators mailbag.

Yes, Brady Tkachuk will be discussed. Let’s get that out of the way. We will also field questions about Adam Gaudette, whether the Senators should move on from a piece of their core, and the dreaded month of November.

Thank you to everyone who submitted questions.

Note: Submitted questions may be edited for clarity and style.

I have a feeling deep in my bones that Brady (Tkachuk) is not sticking around for this nonsense past the end of his contract. Not because he doesn’t care, but because he cares so much and the team isn’t putting as much into it as he does (management is a bit behind the 8-ball but the fact remains). If the team isn’t a playoff team when it comes time to talk about a new deal, do you think — like I do — that he’s going to take a pass? — Christopher R. 

First things first: Tkachuk is pretty content with staying in Ottawa for the foreseeable future, if you haven’t heard.

But fine, we’ll bite. If you were in Tkachuk’s shoes and felt your team wasn’t doing what it needed to be a winner, wouldn’t you do the same? Especially if you were in your prime? I’d seriously consider a change if my goals are to win and the Senators aren’t going anywhere. But I’m not Tkachuk. As I wrote a few days ago, he loves the city and has ingrained himself in their community. Maybe he wants to see this through for the rest of his career and be a Senator for life. That’s not something Daniel Alfredsson or Jason Spezza can say despite their resumes.

Also, what would the Senators be thinking if it got to that point? Would they want him to be a Senator for life? Conventional wisdom says they’d want assets for him if either party determined that Tkachuk should seek greener pastures past the conclusion of his contract. It’s something that has to be calculated in this equation, too.

In any case, it bears repeating: The Senators don’t want him gone right now nor does he want to leave.

With the Sens near the bottom of the standings yet again after the month of November, trading a core player seems to be the growing consensus in how to improve (shake up) the team. However, the core is the overwhelming part of the roster that is actually producing. So, how then would trading away a core player(s) improve this team’s fortunes when it’s their support players who have failed to contribute thus far? — Pete S. 

In theory, you’re more likely to get a quality return — or some player who can change your fortunes around — if you trade a player from your core. Mostly because they’ll have more value in a trade. But yes, I think the Senators would have to be very careful in moving on from a core piece. It doesn’t help that the team’s depth and prospect pool are pretty barren, which means if they move on from one piece (say, a centre), there’s no immediate replacement who can come up from the AHL and take advantage of more playing time while coming close to the production lost.

If you’re considering moving on from players like Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto, you’re banking on teams seeing the upside in acquiring young talents. And teams are willing to pay the right price for them, but it has to help your team. The Athletic’s NHL scribes, myself included, recently wrote about targets we feel our teams should be acquiring. As I wrote, if the Senators can get a proper right-shot defenceman in exchange for a player like Pinto, you consider it.

For those of us who have all but surrendered our hopes for “meaningful games” in the second half: What makes/will make the Sens worth watching anyway? — Brian S. 

The Senators aren’t out of the running for a playoff spot, Brian. Ottawa is currently in a wild-card spot and has a .533 win percentage. Since Nov. 25, the Senators are 7-2-1. Linus Ullmark is 6-0-1 since then with a .950 save percentage and a 1.55 goals-against average. The Senators need to win more games and sustain this play for a few more months, but they look like they’re slowly turning a corner. If they can keep it up, that makes them worth watching through the second half of the season.

And regardless of team performance, the answer is Tim Stützle. The German-born forward is on pace for a 100-point season. If he does it, it’ll be the fourth such instance in franchise history. You knew this already, but Dany Heatley was the last to do it when he scored 50 in ’07. He’s looked really good at both ends of the ice and has played like their best player for most of the season. I think following his chase to 100 points is an easy storyline.

While I’m optimistic we’ll turn things around, if we don’t and are again sellers at the deadline, I’m curious about Adam Gaudette. A UFA at the end of the season who’s suddenly shown himself to be a solid NHL-level goal scorer, with a cap hit that would be digestible to even the most close to the ceiling contender. I’m wondering what the return could be there? Or would the Sens want to try and extend him, and if so what would that look like? — Alexander F. 

Can I say that I also share in your optimism, Alexander? I think the Senators can play better hockey from here on out. As mentioned in the previous answer, they already are.

But I also thought about Adam Gaudette and his future with the Senators. A great find by the team in the offseason, and now he’s playing top-six minutes after starting the year on the fourth line. Thirteen goals on the season, a career high for him. On a league-minimum contract, too.

My very early take is that the Senators could fetch a decent draft choice for him if it got to that. A third-round draft pick would be a good value for a pending UFA who has mostly contributed goals and not many assists to this point in the season. Considering how much the team could use a restock of their prospect pool, they shouldn’t argue too much with an extra draft pick that comes their way. But that’s if the Senators have to move on from him. Re-signing him would be fine. Maybe you start with a two-year deal offering $1 million annually and give him a raise while not hampering your salary-cap structure. I’m OK with this being perceived as a low-ball offer to start. But I also think you must be cautious with shelling out a lot of money for production like Gaudette’s.

Two questions. The Julian calendar was named after you, right? If so, can you please decree that we go to an 11-month year and remove November from the calendar, henceforth and forever? — Jonathan T. 

Jonathan, this gave me a good laugh. Thanks for this. Two months into this gig, I now understand why Senators fans dread the month of November as much as they do. That five-game losing streak was tough for the Senators to take. But if I can offer a silver lining: The Senators were 5-8-1, which is better than their last few seasons in November.

Now, let us not speak of November for a while. I’ll hold my end of the bargain.

(Top photo of Adam Gaudette: André Ringuette / NHLI via Getty Images)