Ottawa Senators centre Shane Pinto was sad to see his good friend and long-time teammate Brady Tkachuk leave the organization this off-season but understands it’s part of the business.
“Took everyone kinda by surprise. He’s been such a big part of this organization - obviously the face of it. He’s obviously one of my good buds too so to see him go, it sucks. I think he just wanted to go down a different path and I totally understand that,” Pinto told TSN 1200 on Monday.
Following a rocky 2025-26 season, Tkachuk, who served as Ottawa’s captain for five seasons, waived his no-move clause last month to facilitate a trade to the Florida Panthers for a package of draft picks, including two first-round selections in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The 26-year-old American spent eight seasons in Canada’s capital after being selected fourth overall by the Sens in 2018. However, Tkachuk’s relationship with the franchise appeared to wane in recent years as it became apparent the 2026 Olympic gold medalist would not re-sign with the organization once his seven-year, $57.56 million contract ($8.21 million average annual value) expired at the conclusion of the 2027-28 season.
Tkachuk recorded 22 goals and 37 assists over 60 games with the Senators in 2025-26, finishing his career in Ottawa with 213 goals and 250 points over 572 games. He led the Senators to the postseason in each of the past two seasons, but the team was eliminated in the opening round on both occasions.
Tkachuk didn’t record a point over four playoff games this spring as Ottawa was swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
The Scottsdale, Ariz., native will now play with his brother Matthew in Florida as the Panthers are primed for another run as Stanley Cup contenders after missing the playoffs last season.
“We just wish him all the best and I know we’ll see him down the road,” Pinto said. “He’s going to be in our division, so I’m sure we’ll see him a lot.”
The 25-year-old Pinto, who played alongside Tkachuk for his entire six-year NHL, says the team now must move forward together as a group.
“You want everyone on the same page and everyone going for the same goal. That’s all you want,” Pinto explained. “On a personal level, he’s still going to by my bud. There’s always going to be a business side of hockey, so you just kind of leave that out of it.”
Pinto had a career season in 2025-26, scoring 23 goals and 23 assists over 72 games, but was unable to record a point over four playoff games.
The American has 74 goals and 79 assists over 282 games in the NHL after the Sens selected him in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Pinto is set to begin a new four-year, $30 million contract in 2026-27, featuring an average annual value of $7.5 million.
