Brad Marchand Takes Shot at Tim Stutzle's Potential Captaincy
If the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers weren't considered rivals before this season, expect to see the heat turned up to 1000, as these two teams have no other option but to hate each other now.
With Brady Tkachuk, the Senators former captain demanding a trade to his brother Matthew in Florida, it's left a vacant 'C' in Ottawa. Turns out, the Senators are working through the motions right now of naming a new captain, and one player who's in the conversation is Tim Stutzle. Yes, the very same Stutzle who's been called out by a lot of people around the league for his diving around the ice, and this time around, once the news broke, Panthers pest Brad Marchand didn't hold back his toughts:
Marchand laughed off the idea of Stutzle being in the conversation for Ottawa's next captain 👀
— BarDown (@BarDown) September 2, 2026
(H/T @puckempire) pic.twitter.com/zIogqKVQa9
We'll have to wait and see how these divisional games play out this season, but from all accounts, the Panthers should be a Stanley Cup contender, while the Senators are going to be pushing for a playoff spot out of the Eastern Conference.
Tkachuk's left a huge hole at the top of the Senators lineup, but from all the interviews from his former teammates this summer, it's obvious the team is very comfortable moving on without his antics in the dressing room.
The Senators are likely doing a leadership group by committee type of set up for the 2026-27 season, so no one player has to handle all the burden of the captain and his leadership duties. Meanwhile in Florida, Tkachuk can blend in with all the big names and we'll see how much impact he can have on a contending team, especially when the games matter the most.