Senators' Brady Tkachuk Drops Honest Take on Maple Leafs-Mitch Marner Saga

Senators' Brady Tkachuk Drops Honest Take on Maple Leafs-Mitch Marner Saga originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk had a front-row seat to the Mitch Marner saga this summer, thanks to his relationship with Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.

Speaking on The Leafs Nation’s "Simply Spiked" podcast, Tkachuk said he had gotten to know Marner over the past couple of years from the outside, acknowledging he was not privy to the inner workings of the winger’s contract negotiations.

“I know Matthews played with Mitch, and I’ve just gotten to know Mitch over the last couple of years,” Tkachuk said. “So obviously, I don’t really know the ins and outs of (his) negotiation.

“I know how my negotiation went. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows until something gets done, then it becomes great. Obviously, they didn’t agree, and you know, Vegas could be the best thing for him, and when it comes to a change, I bet change is hard, but I’ll have to kind of wait and see.”

Full Brady Tkachuk Interview: https://t.co/h8Zuk3xRNe

— TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) August 12, 2025

Mitch Marner: From Toronto to Vegas

Marner was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade on the verge of free agency, landing an eight-year, $96 million contract with Vegas. Toronto received forward Nicolas Roy in the deal.

The move came after a career season from Marner, who notched 102 points, including 27 goals and 75 assists in 81 regular-season games.

Marner cited his pursuit of a Stanley Cup as the main reason for joining Vegas. In his nine seasons, the Leafs never got past the second round of the playoffs.

“You want to be in a place where you want to win,” Marner said about the trade. “That’s the whole goal of why we do this. You want to hoist that Stanley Cup, and this team has shown that they can do it.”

The Golden Knights have reached the playoffs in seven of their eight seasons and captured the Cup in 2022-23.

Will There Be Another Mitch Marner-Brady Tkachuk Postseason Matchup?

Tkachuk’s comments came months after Ottawa’s first-round playoff series against Toronto, which the Maple Leafs won in six games.

Last season, the Senators' captain faced Marner and Matthews in a high-stakes Battle of Ontario, Ottawa's first postseason appearance since 2017.

Although there is a chance Marner and Tkachuk play against each other in the playoffs, that's now harder to see happen as both teams, the Senators and the Golden Knights, would need to reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Related: Senators' Brady Tkachuk Reveals What He Learned From Auston Matthews at 4 Nations

Related: Senators' Brady Tkachuk Reveals Why He Had to Hide His Venmo From NHL Fans

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.