The rivalry between the Panthers and Senators leveled up several notches with the trade sending Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to Florida this offseason, and on Tuesday, Brad Marchand decided to stir the pot even further.
It all stems from an Instagram post by PuckEmpire, sharing a report that Thomas Chabot, Tim Stützle, and Jake Sanderson were finalists to become the next captain of the Senators.
“The Ottawa Senators are reportedly “closing in on a decision on who is going to replace Brady Tkachuk,” and their big-three of Thomas Chabot, Tim Stutzle, and Jake Sanderson are believed to be the finalists.
Who should get the ‘C”
One week later, Marchand joined the comment section with this, seemingly laughing off the idea of Stützle getting the C:
“Hahahah……Stutzle….Hahaha,”
The 38-year-old Marchand is about to enter the second year of the six-year, $31.5 million contract extension he signed to stay with the Panthers in June 2025. He was very productive last season, tallying 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) in just 52 games.
It’s a very interesting comment from Marchand, and what’s even more curious about it all is the timing. The veteran does like to joke around, however, so even something like this has to be taken with a grain of salt.
That said, Stützle has been known to be called out for diving and complaining at times early in his career, which has upset some veterans around the league, Brendan Gallagher in particular. Perhaps Marchand is another who’s not too fond of the young German’s antics.
Nonetheless, the hockey world will all be tuned in for games between Florida and Ottawa this season and moving forward, because this could be just the start of a great rivalry brewing in the Atlantic Division.
