Former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk issued a heartfelt message to Sens fans after his blockbuster trade to the Florida Panthers.

After spending the first eight seasons of his career in Canada’s capital city since being drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Tkachuk requested a trade to another team.

On Sunday, the internet broke when word got out that the American was being sent to the Panthers to play with his brother Matthew Tkachuk. In exchange for Brady Tkachuk, the Senators got three first-round picks and one second-round pick for their former captain.

Since then, reaction to the trade, and to Tkachuk himself especially, has been overly negative, as many Sens fans are upset at him for forcing a trade to a Sun Belt team in the United States.

But Tkachuk is taking the high road and is only thinking about the good times as he departs Ottawa and heads to Florida.

Brady Tkachuk Issues Statement Following Blockbuster Trade

Taking to his social media on Tuesday, two days after the trade between Ottawa and Florida was consummated, Tkachuk posted a heartfelt video where he thanks Senators fans for all the support they have given him over his eight seasons in the NHL.

“It’s been the best eight years that anyone could have ever asked for. I feel really grateful to have started my career in Ottawa. Just so grateful for the support that I’ve had, that my family has had. Ever since Day 1 when I stepped foot in the city, I truly felt like I belonged. A kid that was so naive and no had idea what he was getting himself into. I just felt the support from the teammates that I’ve played with. I learned so much from so many guys and have so many great memories that are near and dear to my heart,” Tkachuk said in a video posted to Instagram.

“Some of the best memories of playing in front of you guys. I love you guys, I love the city, and you’re going to hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life.”

Senators Need to Move On

With this statement, hopefully, the Senators have closure on this era of the franchise, as it’s now over.

While Tkachuk was an excellent player for the Senators, ultimately, he wanted out and requested to play with his brother in Florida. He got what he wanted, and now the Senators need to move on.

Armed with three first-round picks and a second-round pick from this trade, Senators general manager Steve Staios needs to go and improve his roster as they look to make the playoffs again next season.

There have already been rumors linking the Senators to Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, which would be a huge move for Ottawa if they could pull it off.

Ultimately, losing Tkachuk hurts, but he wanted a fresh start, and now the Senators have a chance to move on and start fresh as a franchise, too.