05 Feb 2026 16:49:40
Not that I want Ottawa to even consider moving Brady Tkachuk, I think it would be stupid to do that. But if it came to having no choice but to move him, they'd have to get a super stud back for him. So here is a thought that could be great for all involved.
COL - Makar
OTT - Tkachuk, Hensler, Zetterlund, Formenton (rights), Jensen
With Makars contract coming up soon, this would also NEED to be a double sign and trade to make sure both stars get locked in long term.
Ottawa gets the Star Defense partner for Sanderson they desperately need with Makar. And actually gets something for a skilled player like Formenton before he walks for nothing after the Hockey Canada garbage.
Colorado gets a unicorn forward who litteraly does it all with Tkachuk and gives them a new star to build around seeing MacKinnon is approaching his twilight years, but is also still good enough to pair them together and give them another strong push at a cup.they also get a strong prospect to eventually replace Makar in Hensler, and a solid Top 6 forward in Zetterlund to boot. Jensen more of a cap dump that could still prove useful in a new Colorado cup run.
06 Feb 2026 18:36:45
Absolutely zero chance this would be enough for COL not to block OTT from ever calling again.
06 Feb 2026 20:48:48
Makes absolutely no sense for either team. Removes only offensive dman for Colorado and mutes most of Sandersons value as well as weakens the forward unit.
07 Feb 2026 00:42:46
Chiefs - Makar contract expires next off-season. If he don't plan on staying there them a move like this makes perfect sense. Get a large haul for your stud instead of losing him for nothing. As for the muting Sandersons value, not sure i understand how you see that? If anything, it raises Sandersons value exponentially by pairing him with another of the best, If not, the best, defenseman currently in the game. Remember Steven's Neidermeyer? The top duo who made Brodeur look like one of the best goalies to ever play the game till he lost the 2 of them? Or Pronger Neidermeyer or Keith Seabrook? Pairs who won their teams cups. Or even successful world stage pairs like EK Hedman? that's what Sanderson Makar would likely be. As good as Toews is as Makar current partner, Sanderson is a massive upgrade there and they'd be smooth as butter together
07 Feb 2026 01:03:08
Chicken foot - do you actually follow the sport of hockey or are you simply posting dumb comments to elicit a reaction? ?
Tkachuk = one of the very best all round forwards in the sport no matter who you ask. Fights, scores, backchecks, has passion matched by very few in the sport.
Hensler = a Top 10 pick, still super young, highly touted defensive prospect many would love to have on their team.
Formenton = one of the very fastest in the game, great all round versatile middle 6 forward who can play any situation, (and just proven innocent in the hockey canada scandle.
Zetterlund = a great Top 6 winger who can score goals, yes been rougher than expected in Ottawa so far, just hasn't quite found where he fits in quite yet, but still a proven commodity.
And finally Jensen = yes, a cap dump to make room to sign Makar, but still decent Addition to Colorados bottom 2, or a great bait peice to flip as a rental elsewhere.
On what planet would that not be enough for Colorado to say yes to 100× over?
Especially looking back at the Quinn Hughes return Vancouver got that every agreed was a lot! Buium might be a slightly more proven commodity than Hensler, but throw in Formenton and Jensen, that more than makes up for that. Zetterlund carries equal or greater value than Ohmgren, and Tkachuk far far far outranks Rossi value by a land slide, and Noone in their right mind would ever argue that!
As for Hughes vs Makar value, they are not far apart if at all! Many believe they are easily the Top 2 defencemen on the planet right now with great arguments on both sides as to who's better. I lean more to Makar myself, but I definitely dont sleep on what Hughes is capable of either.
So if Hughes warrants a return like he got, no reason this wouldn't be more than enough for Makar if it ever came to that! Especially seeing how his contract is up next off-season, and why would he want to stay in Colorado? He's done it all there already.
07 Feb 2026 17:52:27
As a Sens fan myself, there is zero chance Makar gets traded. Why would he want out of a team that consistently is in contention for the cup.
The Sens side I can see. Although not obvious, I do think Brady wants to be in the states like his brother. The Sens can do a retool around Stu and Sanderson.
His price will be high right now so if they go on a losing streak after the break then maybe it makes sense to trade him over the summer.
Some ideas:
- Philly: York, Drysdale, Tippett are all good pieces to target
- Columbus: not sure what they would offer but he would fit their team I think
- Florida: obvious reasons
- TBL: obvious reasons and actually could work out for both if it is Hagel or Point involved. Canadian for American.
08 Feb 2026 15:12:07
Don't think you'll ever see Makar get moved tbh. If the Sens move Brady it wouldn't be for a bigger piece, he would be the biggest piece in the deal and they would be getting futures in picks and prospects, and a roster player or two as well.
09 Feb 2026 17:25:16
Crozier1 - Brady already gone on record saying he wants to stay and build a legacy in Ottawa. However if that does change and he needs to be traded. They'd need to target much bigger fish than those you mentioned. The Philly targets you mentioned especially. If Philly is and option, the the main piece that needs to be part of any deal involving Tkachuk to Philly would have to include Matvie Mishkov coming to Ottawa! And that is NOT up for debate!
09 Feb 2026 17:29:42
MG69 if the were 5 years ago at the start of Ottawas rebuild you would be correct. But it's not! Ottawas rebuild is over. So a start like Tkachuk is NOT getting lesser pieces, he's getting an equal or greater piece to help Ottawa win now!
10 Feb 2026 14:25:15
Crozier, it’s just a fact that you won’t get that.
Look at the Hughes deal as an example. I think Hughes and Brady would have similar value (maybe Hughes slightly higher, but Ottawa has more leverage than Vancouver) .
10 Feb 2026 17:27:24
So if the rebuild is over, then why propose trading the heart and soul of your team? Especially for a player like Makar, who the Avs significantly value and were willing to lose Ratanen for, knowing they needed the space to give Makar his extension? This would also open up a huge hole upfront for the Sens with no one on the roster or in the organization to fill it.
Also, while yes the rebuild is over. The retooling has begun seeing as the Sens goaltending situation is in absolute shambles.
If Brady ever makes it clear he has no intentions of not resigning with the Sens, they will be at the mercy of the "best offer available" from teams which won't include a player even close to his caliber but rather a serviceable roster player/ young roster player with upside, a high end prospect, and draft capital. just like Hughes got.
The last time we've seen a top player for top player swap was Huberdeau and Weegar for Tkachuk (unsure of other pieces involved) and Calgary had to eat a rubbish sandwich on that one. You just don't see top players being dealt for each other anymore.
10 Feb 2026 20:33:41
Crazier Vancouver and Ottawa are in very different stages right now. Yes they accepted lesser pieces as they are admittedly in rebuild mode. So stocking up the far is the right move to do as most of their top players are at or past their prime years already.
Ottawa on the other hand, are in a win now position after a completed rebuild. So if a star like Tkachuk wants out, they are only accepting equal or greater piece to stay the course and win now while they still have all their young studs like Sanderson, Stutzle, Cousins, Pinto, etc. Trading him for lesser pieces don't make any sense for them.
Different situations does matter in this things.
10 Feb 2026 20:56:21
MG69
First off, I did say I'd rather NOT trade Tkachuk, but if he wants out, as some rumors suggest, I'd rather them stay quiet about it and get top value for him while he's still worth it. Last thing I want is a Marner/Tavares situation where we hold on to him until he walks for nothing or a DeBrincat/Chychrun situation where the cat is out of the bag and we get peanuts for him.
Secondly, I'm not one of the marks who believes the crap about Ottawas Goaltending being in shambles. I know better and can see the problem is that Right Side Defense. A problem landing Makar would easily fix for them.
As for why Colorado would trade Makar? Simple, as i said above, his contract is coming up, and Colorado isn't exactly the most preferred destination to play your whole career due to the intense atmosphere at high altitudes. He could easily decide he wants a change now that he's an RFA and seeing how he's already done everything there is to do in Colorado. And furthermore, why he'd decide Ottawa would be a great destination? Again, simple, Ottawa is build with a strong young core who gives him a strong chance to push for a cup and be the hero Canada needs that helps bring the cup back home where it belongs in his home country. Not to mention the chance to pair up with Sanderson and possibly cement both of their legacies as a potential Top Defensive Pairing in NHL History alongside pairs like Stevens and Neidermeyer.
And like I said, its not like the Avs are getting shafted here. Tkachuk value alone, you said it yourself, is near Makar/Hughes level. Add in Formenton, Jensen, Zetterlund, and a Top young Defense Prospect like Hesler, and that's a significant haul and likely more than they'd ever get for and player they have ever again! Worst case they keep Tkachuk, Formenton, and Hensler and flip the other 2 for upgrades somewhere or for picks.
11 Feb 2026 02:38:05
In the last 10 games between your three goalies only one of them has a 0.900 save percentage or higher. For a team fighting for a wild card spot their goalies need to be better, plain and simple. So yes, they are in shambles.
While I see your argument for Makar wanting to leave; there's also the argument that could be made for him wanting to remain on the team that regularly makes the playoffs, is currently sitting in first place overall, and has one of the best players in the game on it.
His value is nowhere near Makar's. I would say he is right there with Hughes though, you could even make the argument it's more than Hughes.
As for the package itself, outside of Tkachuk you have: Zetterlund, who is currently playing on the 4th line and is not on any special team's line so his value isn't great by any means. Jensen, being played on the second pairing, but hasn't looked great this year and wouldn't do half of what Makar does for the Avs. Formemton is a reclamation project at this point with extremely high likely hood it doesn't pan out, seeing as he has yet to be a point per game player in the National League the past 3 seasons. And finally Hensler. Was a great pick by the Sens last year, recently out with a long term injury that has yet to be confirmed as to what it is. But he wouldn't be helping the Avs anytime soon, likely 3-4yrs away from being in contention for a spot in the NHL.
But again, you trade away Tkachuk and you have no one to fill that hole. Just as if the Avs trade Makar they have no one to fill that hole either. The Sens would be better off holding onto Tkachuk; pursue a guy like Weegar or Parayko who would give Sanderson a little more room to take chances offensively and are tiednfor fifth and first for blocked shots league wide; figure out a way to address the goaltending struggles or hope that Ullmark figures it out.
11 Feb 2026 02:59:46
Colorado says no.
12 Feb 2026 16:24:29
MGK69
Dude... what are you smoking? The only difference in Hughes and Makar Value is that Hughes is slightly more prone to injuries. Skill wise, they are on par with each other. Anyone following the sport understands that! Makar only slightly higher value because of that fact. Its nowhere near the gap you claim it is!
And again, goalies cant be held fully accountable for those numbers defense plays a huge factor in that, if defense screens the goalies too much or cant force high visibility shots, or clear the net front, there's not a lot the goalies can do. This is exactly what's been happening for years in Ottawa. Not all goalies can be Craig Anderson or Dominic Hasek pull rabbits outta their mask to save the day 80+% of the time. Defense has to be better!
Zetterlund was in Top 6 most of the year, they have been bouncing him around since Tkachuk got back, and as I said, in San Jose he proved he is a near point a game guy in the right situation. Jensen would be a spot holder at best until Hensler makes the jump, or Jensen could simply be flipped. Formenton may or may not be a project but he's one of very few guys who can match pace with MacKinnon speed wise whether on same line or different one where his speed wears out opponents opening things up for Mak.
The problem with not trading them is if one or both want to go, and the teams lose their best player(s) for nothing. Ask Toronto or New York how that feels? As for Sens having noone to fix loss of Tkachuk, what do you call Pinto? He's more than capable of filling Tkachuk role and Grieg can fill his. Ottawa proved already they can get it done without Tkachuk with the team we got now. Replacing Tkachuk with Makar would make a huge difference. I do see your point with Colorado unable to replace Makar right now, but that could easily be fixed by flipping a couple of the Ottawa peices and something to target something else you mentioned like Weagar or Parayko. Again, if Makar wants out, this is Colorados BEST option, or would you expect them to sit back and watch him walk away for nothing as a UFA? That's the worst thing they can do.
13 Feb 2026 00:02:56
But why not keep tkachuk and turn yakemchuk into your own makar? Seems more believable.
13 Feb 2026 16:59:34
Makar is very easily better defensively than Hughes; better offensively than Hughes; he's a top pair right handed dman, you could argue that is the most valuable positon in hockey when it comes to trade value; plays on the first PP and the second PK.
If defense has to be better than would you not want to get one of the two guys in the Top 5 for blocked shots who actually compliment what Sanderson could be doing offensively? Add a third team to retain on the contract and all of a sudden you have a top 4 right handed dman, for a good price to help the Sens win now, but still be at a low cost that flipping for assets in a year or two wouldnt be out of the question.
You may want to go and check your stats on Zetterlund because he has never been close to being a point per game player in the NHL. You said so yourself in another comment that Jensen was a simply a cap dump in this deal. Formenton was one of the fastest when he was here and maybe he still is. But if he was good enough to be in the NHL he would be on the Sens or they would have dealt him by now if they didnt have any intention of signing him; but he's overseas still so that tells me his value in the eyes of the Sens and the rest of the league isn't great.
If you think Pinto can replace what Tkachuk does then that's great man, but then maybe Tkachuk isn't a unicorn like you say he is. But IMO Tkachuk holds too much value to the Sens to part with and if he was being dealt he would be the best player in the deal and it would be a retool for the Sens by them getting an established top 6 roster player, a top end prospect, and at minimum a 1st.
But at the end of the day the Avs are in first place; they have Makar for another year at minimum, but I imagine a contract extension will be signed over this summer. And if not, the season will start and it will get addressed by him signing; him being dealt; or if they are doing well then they very well just hold onto him for one more go at Lord Stanley if they don't get an offer that is going to remotely fill that void he would be leaving. Would it be a tough pill to swallow for the Avs if they lost Makar for nothing, absolutely. But if he puts them in a better position to win it all then chances are they run with that risk because winning the Stanley Cup is what it's all about.
16 Feb 2026 18:43:07
Your 1st point about Makar can easily be said all the exact same points about Hughes don't kid yourself. He's litteraly all but matched Makar every step of the way so far. If Makar isn't the fave to win the Norris every year, Hughes is! Makar might have a slight edge defensively I'll give you that. But offensively? Not a chance there's an edge anywhere. And I say slight defensive edge because he's got Toews to make him look that much better. Hughes don't have that type of partner at that level.
Blocked shots don't always mean better defense. I'd rather a sense of elite possession. That is something that a guy on Makar or Seider level bring. And I want Sanderson to have a partner near his own level, NOT several levels below it like Zub.
Zetterlund was close to near point a game in San Jose, hence why Ottawa Targeted him. His also still a Top 6 guy, Top 9 at worst in Colorado.
Formenton, only reason he hasn't been signed or returned to NHL as of yet, is because of the damn Melnyk sisters who keep blackballing him over the Hockey Canada crap that he was proven innocent from and they like so many cant accept reality as it is. And considering Ottawa owns his rights still, that is why he cant sign with nhl and remains overseas. I would love to have him back, but they are screwing that up.
Oh he's still a unicorn in every way but if he wants out he wants out! So you replace him with another special player like Makar. As for Pinto replacing him up front, while Tkachuk was out injured, the offense never faultered, the defense did! Hence why bringing in Makar would help Ottawa in a huge way. Despite the cost.
And yeah Avs got 1 more year of him. But the more they run out that contract without signing him, the lower his value in a return gets to be. And the higher the probability of him walking for nothing. That's a risk the Avs can't afford to take for one more chance at a cup. Especially with teams like Minnesota and Dallas and Edmonton and Vegas all standing in their way in the West alone. The need to think about the future and how to remain in the conversation with those teams. This type of trade would do exactly that. Sure, defense downgrades huge but not for long as Hensler has the potential to get it back up for them when he matures. And in the mean time, they'd get a massive upgrade offensively by adding Tkachuk Formenton and Zetterlund. All 3 capable Top 3 to 9 guys. Tkachuk being a perfect compliment to MacKinnon. And again, Jensen and Zetterlund could also be flipped with another peice or 2 to got after a peice that could replace Makar now, something like Owen Power from Buffalo or Colton Parayko from St. Louis or Adam Fox from New York, all who feel like better fits for Colorado as Makar replacements than in Ottawa as Sanderson partners like I see with Makar. Though Fox could be interesting in Ottawa at the right price.
16 Feb 2026 22:54:24
Zetterlund topped out at 44 points in 82 games for San Jose. that's 38 short and wouldnt be considered nearly a point per game by many. If Formenton had value then Staios would have dealt him. In fact I'm sure the Melnyk sisters have probably encouraged him to try to get him out of the organization; and yet he remains because other teams don't see value in him either.
Since you seem to think that the Sens are in win now mode and that Zetterlund, Hensler, Jensen can easily be flipped for assets to still be competitive now then maybe the Sens should do so because even with adding Tkachuk the Avs would still have no one to fill the hole that would be left by trading the best dman in the game and wouldn't be able to flip the other three for even a temporary fix. I think you forget that the Avs are in first place, have scored the most goals this year, and allowed the least this year. They have zero, and I mean ZERO, need to blow things up.
Everyone would love Makar on their team. But come July 1st, which is the earliest he can resign with the Avs, I imagine he will be off the market. And if for some reason he doesn't resign. Then someone is going to pay a premium to have the chance at signing him for that additional year. Last player the Avs dealt with an expiring contract landed them Necas and he's done pretty damn good on the Avs. So I can only imagine what Makar would land.
17 Feb 2026 17:20:42
If you argue with anything MG said there, then you really are clueless ?.
18 Feb 2026 04:38:34
MG69
To your point about Formenton not being tradable. The only reason that's even remotely true, is not because nobody wants him, its because thanks to the idiot Melnyk sisters everyone already knows, there's no need to trade for him as they know Sens aren't going to sign him anyway, so why trade for him when they cant wait and bid on him when his contract is up in off-season and Ottawa ain't tendering an offer so they can get him for nothing.
Im not saying this trade would need to happen this trade deadline. Avs could easily keep him for now and revisit this proposal in the off-season if Makar hasn't resigned by then or outright tells them he dont plan on coming back to Colorado. At least hed be giving them the notice in advance so Colorado could get a deal like this for him. But again, it would need to be a double sign and trade to make sure neither team gets the shaft by the newly aquired players.
19 Feb 2026 12:16:10
If that's the case then take him out of the deal lol. He has no trade value to any team at this point if they can wait to sign him in free agency. No ones fighting for the chance to be the team that can offer him an 8 year contract.
I will refer you back to the last Avs player who got dealt on an expiring deal (Rantanen) got them a young up and coming immediate replacement for him. Where is that for the Avs in your deal? Jensen? Hensler? Jensen is a cap dump (your words) and Hansler is anywhere from 2-4 years away from being in the NHL. Also, Hensler was picked 23rd overall, he's not a "Top 10 pick" like you have previously stated. The Avs are competing NOW. They are in more win now mode then the Sens are.
Deal isn't going to happen and wouldn't happeb because outside of Tkachuk you haven't offered anyone that helps the Avs right now, nor do you send back a replacement for the best player in the deal, or pieces that hold enough value to flip them for a replacement.
22 Feb 2026 17:58:19
Are you blind?
Tkachuk is the now skilled roster replacement, Hensler is the future positional replacement, Jensen while being a cap dump is still a positional filler for now, and the other 2 give Colorado Middle 6 depth at worst. Plus, with MacKinnon getting up there in age himself, Tkachuk provides offensive security as a passing if the torch down the road. that's a far better "replacement" as you say, for Makar, than what they got for Rantanenen. Do the math dude.
A Top 3 Unicorn Forward, 2 at worst middle 6 wingers, a Bottom 4 shutdown dman, and a stud prospect dman is a massive haul compared to what they got for Rantanenen.
And with all that, plus the trade capital they already still have, if they wanted to go out and replace Makar now with something closer to his level, they'd have a crap ton more trade material to get that done easy after this. Flip a peice or 2 like Jensen or Zetterlund or Formenton or even Hensler, along with something they already have available to them like lekhonen or olofson or Nelson or whoever. Its not that tough for Colorado to make use of assets to replace a big name. They have plenty as is and this gives them more on top.
This whole proposal is based on the fact Makar contract is coming up, and the strong possibility he most likely will be looking for a change and Colorado will want to get something over nothing for him. If their only 2 options are...
1 - let him go for nothing like Calgary Toronto and New York did with Gaudreau, Marner and Tavares
Or
2 - trade him and get a massive haul like this one (they wont get a better one as teams wont try to pay more than this for 1 guy, I dont care who the guy is)
... and there is no other option, which do you honestly think, best benefits the team? I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with adoption koo.
25 Feb 2026 17:16:46
I will say again, outside of Tkachuk you have sent no one who carries value to replace Makar, on defense, for the right now since they are competing right now and very likely will be going forward. There deep is deep and show no signs of slowing down.
Part of the reason the Avs are doing well are depth pieces like Nelson, Lekhonen, etc. They fit the scheme and play their roles effectively. You trade that away and they become a less deep deep. Especially given the other pieces, as you have suggested, could be used as well to replace Makar; which in turn would further compromise the depth. You're pulling things out of thin air saying there's a strong possibility that Makar wants to leave lol. Until those words leave his mouth I am going to tread on the idea the Avs sign him to 8 years at around $12-14mill per likely and keep the best dman in the game around for a little while longer. And to say they got a low return for Rantanen is partially true, because he didn't want to sign an extension with the Canes. But the fact the Avs got Necas, who is currently sitting in the Top 15 for points, and Drury who is one of the leagues best in the dot and a crucial part to their PK that currently sits as second best in the league I would say they are probably quite happy with the return.
The Sens would be better off going after Weegar, Parayko, Schneider, or even like you said a possesion driven Fox who are all on teams that are rebuilding or retooling. But considering all of them come from bottom 5 teams they would likely be thrilled to add a guy like Hensler who is again, 2-4yrs away and aline better with when they will likely be competing again.
End of the day while it is important to get something for expiring contracts; for teams who are competing now those deals have to also ensure that it keeps them competitive, doesn't disturb the overall depth too much as the end goal for competing teams and owners is the Stanley Cup. So while yes, adding Tkachuk would be huge for any team in the league, losing Makar would hurt far more. Especially given his replacement would come at the cost of absolutely destroying the depth they have.
I'm a Leafs fan, I've seen the results of trying to constantly outscore your opponents with top loaded lines. Provides awesome regular season hockey and translates to 2 second round appearances in way too many years. Avs have something special going right now and likely will next season too. There is no reason for them to part with Makar even this offseason. See how next season progresses and if they are still competing at a high level like they are now, extension or not for Makar, he gives them a better chance to get to the Cup then without him as they would have to destroy their depth to get a top 2 or even a top 4 rhd. If next season they are on the downward spiral then i imagine they would unload Makar and someone will likely pay a premium for him, especially if its a sign and trade or if they are confident that they will be able to get him signed to an 8 year deal.