Boston University left wing Brady Tkachuk has opted to forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility to sign with the Ottawa Senators, according to multiple media reports and confirmed by New England Hockey Journal. Tkachuk, from St. Louis, Mo., was drafted fourth overall by the Senators in the 2018 NHL Draft. During his freshman...
Boston University left wing Brady Tkachuk has opted to forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility to sign with the Ottawa Senators, according to multiple media reports and confirmed by New England Hockey Journal.
Tkachuk, from St. Louis, Mo., was drafted fourth overall by the Senators in the 2018 NHL Draft. During his freshman season for the Terriers, he had eight goals and 23 assists for 31 points in 40 games.
A National Team Development Program alum, Tkachuk is known for his size and ability to take over games below the dots. He goes to the dirty areas and is able to win puck battles behind the goal line and along the walls to facilitate offense.
“Brady has great hockey sense," said BU head coach Albie O’Connell. "He’s a true competitor. His game is still getting refined right now, but when he’s 22, 23, he’s going to be a hard guy to deal with in the corners and in front of the net. Plus, he can make plays, he can score, and he can do a little bit of everything."
Tkachuk’s father, Keith, played at BU before a long NHL career. His older brother, Matthew, is a star forward with the Calgary Flames.
Despite losing Tkachuk, O'Connell, entering his first year after taking over from David Quinn, still has an impressive forward corps at his disposal.
Senior Bobo Carpenter, junior Patrick Harper, sophomore Shane Bowers, and freshmen Jake Wise and Joel Farabee can all slot into top-six roles. However, there's no denying that the Scarlet and White have taken a sizable hit with Tkachuk heading for the NHL.
Last spring, would-be-senior Jordan Greenway also departed BU early, signing with the Minnesota Wild after playing for the U.S. in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.
