Login

How Brady Tkachuk Is Taking the Next Step

When Brady Tkachuk was selected fourth overall in the 2018 draft, he arrived as a pro-ready power forward who would provide the Ottawa Senators with much-needed scoring touch and sandpaper for the next decade. His ferocious and direct approach to the game makes him a head coach’s dream. There are no frills. There’s no dipsy-doodling on the perimeter. He puts his head down and drives the play to the opposition’s front door.

However, that one-track mind has also held him back at times. Because of where he would set up shop, his impact was too dependent on his teammates’ ability to move the puck there. And as we know, the Senators haven’t exactly assembled a powerhouse yet. The team has finished 31st, 30th and 23rd in the league over the past three years.

Ottawa’s 22-year-old captain has decided to take matters into his own hands in 2021-22. By mixing in a few wrinkles, he’s become a less predictable, more effective and more potent offensive threat.

It starts with his puck management. In previous seasons, it…didn’t really exist. He would fling pucks on net the moment he gained possession. That approach is as efficient in tight as it is wasteful from the fringes. This year, Tkachuk is displaying more patience and a greater willingness to build up to chances rather than attempting to brute-force them. Notice how keen he is to distribute the puck now:

Those certainly aren’t Leon Draisaitl-caliber feeds, but Tkachuk’s savvier choices have made him considerably tougher to defend. He’s moving his feet, using his teammates and applying pressure from different locations. Unsurprisingly, this is yielding stronger results on the scoresheet as well (26 points in 32 contests).

Moreover, the scope of his offense is expanding beyond what he can do toward what we can do. Though Tkachuk’s individual on-ice metrics (shot attempts, chances, expected goals) are down from previous years, his scoring rates are up across the board because he’s diversified the team’s offense. Thanks to his evolution and Drake Batherson’s breakout campaign, the Senators can attack opponents in a multitude of ways. They can still overwhelm you in the slot, but they’re also capable of chaining together multiple royal-road passes or working high-low. One-and-dones are much less frequent.

To be clear, Tkachuk remains an excellent net-crasher. He barrels toward the crease with reckless abandon, either enjoying chances himself or carrying defenders with him to open up space for his teammates:

He’s simply struck a finer balance between all-gas and more considered moments.

In addition to making smarter plays with the puck, he’s learning how to shield it more effectively. There’s still an occasionally awkward, off-balance quality to his game, but he’s become a serious handful in the corners:

He’s big, busy and attempts to maintain or wrestle back control of the puck by any means necessary. With his 6’4”, 211-pound frame and ceaseless motor, he fares quite well in this department—and he should only improve further as he grows more comfortable with his size and strength.

Speaking of physicality, Tkachuk has also matured as a hitter. Where he once threw his body around at every opportunity, he now sizes up the situation to determine whether the best course of action is a heavy check or a play on the puck. He’s become very effective at muscling inside, getting under his opponent’s stick and winning possession. Opponents hear his footsteps coming, but they don’t know if he’s chosen to be a wrecking ball or a thief:

That may not be as enjoyable for the fans, but his sharper instincts are offering his club extra touches in the offensive zone. That has translated to his five-man unit’s highest scoring rate ever (3.61 GF60).

Ottawa can score from different places and in different settings. Tkachuk is still a menace in traffic, while he’s become much more dangerous on the rush. The Senators’ varied attack has seemingly allowed him to find his firing range too. In the past, he would rack up an astounding number of expected goals (2nd in the league over the past three seasons), but his shot would let him down.

Now that he’s dialed his game back a touch, he appears more composed in pure shooting scenarios. His goals aren’t limited to banging home rebounds. He’s beating goaltenders cleanly:

When it comes to lottery picks, coaches often have to impress the importance of more direct, north-south play. The opposite is true for Tkachuk. He already had the blue-collar side down pat. In fact, he arguably leaned too heavily on it.

This season, he’s slowed his roll and thus opened his game up to new possibilities. He’s using the entire surface of the ice. He’s playing off his teammates. He’s a stronger decision-maker, a better forechecker, a more clinical finisher. Hell, he’s even become pretty damn good at the faceoff circle (58.5%). He’s adding layers to a team that’s still building its foundation for the long haul.

Recent Posts

How Corey Perry Is Making His Presence Felt With the Lightning
View Post »
How Adam Fox Pushed the Rangers Past the Penguins
View Post »
Why Gustav Forsling Was the Panthers’ Unsung Hero in Round 1
View Post »

How We Can Help You