Brady Tkachuk still hasn't signed a new deal with the Ottawa Senators and is waiting to get back to work with his teammates. His file is starting to worry the hockey world, and rightly so, especially since rumors are talking about a potential eight-year, $64 million offer.
That said, the Sens chief driver, namely D.J. Smith, really seems to miss his best asset, his lion, his concession player... For the first time, or one of the first, Smith opened up about Tkachuk and let's just say the man would love to have him around.
"Do I wish he was here? Absolutely. He's a big part of our lineup. As far as contract negotiations, I don't get involved in that and it's voluntary. I just want to coach the kids. Negotiations are not my job. As a coach, I want to stay in what I know and do my job. We will be very happy when he joins us. If he's not here, I have to focus on the guys who are," said Smith.
While the clock is ticking, one has to worry about what kind of game Tkachuk will be in when he joins his team... But it doesn't seem to alarm the head coach too much, who is aware that his 22-year-old power forward is a professional.
"He's a professional and he skates every day. It's not at a National League level, but hey. It's hard to answer that. There are guys who miss camp and don't have a good season. There are others who are able to get back on track quickly. We don't know that, but he's young and I think he'll be able to get back to the level quickly," added Smith.
