If Ottawa continues to underachieve, though, the questions will persist. The no-movement clause in Tkachuk’s contract kicks in on July 1, and it’s ultimately on the Senators to build a team that will prove Tkachuk right in committing and reaffirming his loyalty to the franchise.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk broke the silence after the recent trade rumors linking him to the New York Rangers.

Not only has Shesterkin broken the MSG Bank, but his eight-year contract comes with a No-Movement Clause. Which means that if he somehow stinks out the joint, we're stuck with this guy 'til the cows come home!

Reached by The Athletic for comment, the Rangers via a spokesperson called Andlauer's comment "an irresponsible accusation."

Tkachuk revealed that Senators general manager Steve Staios had personally reassured him there was no validity to the rumors, which the player said "didn't even see" when they popped up following a report by Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

Getting a bruising forward like Tkachuk would absolutely be a whopper of a deal. But Sens VP of communications Ian Mendes had a very funny response, posting a picture of the synonyms for “whopper,” very much implying that it was an “untruth.”

On Monday, the TSN crew attending the NHL's Board of Governors revealed that Senators owner Michael Andlauer had told TSN's Pierre LeBrun that the organization was accusing the Rangers of “soft tampering” following reports linking the Ottawa captain to New York as a potential trade target.

Here's what Senators owner Michael Andlauer had to say regarding his frustrations about the Brady Tkachuk rumors linking him to the Rangers.