There are certain lists that no NHL player wants to be on. For example, nobody wants the fictional “Masters Green Jacket” this time of year, a title that's cruelly attached to the player with the worst plus-minus in the league.
For the record, the leaderboard has Chicago's Connor Bedard at -40 right now, good for a one-stroke lead over teammate Tyler Bertuzzi and Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei.
No one wants to be associated with an early golf season either, but unfortunately, that’s been the reality in Ottawa for the past seven seasons. As a result, a few Ottawa Senators now appear on the NHL list for the most games played by an active player without ever making it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Brady Tkachuk leads the way, currently in fourth place in the league, followed closely by Thomas Chabot in sixth. But their frustrating wait is about to end. On Tuesday night, the Senators officially punched their playoff ticket, and a week and a half from now, they'll be taken off that active player postseason futility list.
They’re among five Sens draft picks who've done hard time here, not only missing the playoffs but enduring more than their share of off-ice nonsense. The core list includes:
Brady Tkachuk – 511 NHL games
No one has wanted this more than Tkachuk, who's now in his seventh season. After watching his brother Matthew win a Stanley Cup in Florida last spring, Tkachuk showed up in the fall even more determined to get to the postseason—if such a thing is possible. Assuming he's healthy, he's likely to be a playoff weapon like Ottawa has never seen before. He showed the hockey world what he can do when the stakes are at their highest during February's Four Nations Faceoff.
Thomas Chabot – 509 games
The Senators' first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft has been here longer than anyone. He debuted with the Senators in 2016-17, getting into one game during the regular season. So the following year, his rookie season ran perfectly parallel to the franchise’s eight years of difficulties. Despite losing in Columbus on Tuesday night, finally clinching a playoff spot felt great for the 28-year-old.
"It definitely does," Chabot told TSN 1200's Gord Wilson. "From top to bottom, I think everybody just took a huge step this year. Everybody did whatever they could every single night to get into the playoffs. And obviously, now that it's confirmed, we've still got some games to play, but I think the entire group is just freaking fired up. We're just excited to get in. We can't wait to go at it."
Drake Batherson – 387 games
Batherson entered the organization as a fourth-round draft pick in 2017 but would easily slide into the first round in a fictional redraft. Batherson may be the best golfer on the team, but he has to be thrilled he's not making tee times in mid-April again this year.
“To find out we're in the dance is pretty exciting,” Batherson told the media after Tuesday’s game. “Some of us have been at it seven, eight years without a playoff game, so I'm really proud of the group, and everyone's really excited in the organization right now.”
Tim Stützle – 363 games
Stützle is now in his fifth season with the club and, over the years, has frequently worn his frustrated heart on his sleeve. He broke into the league as an 18-year-old and seemed unprepared for its chronic shortage of Lady Byng candidates. Stutzle has now graduated from the school of hard knocks, and the team's most highly skilled player is pumped to finally be at this point.
Shane Pinto – 206 games
Pinto’s games played total doesn't really line up with the number of seasons he's been emotionally invested in the organization. Pinto just missed being a first-rounder in 2019, going 32nd overall. He's been with the club for parts of five seasons, but his games played totals have been affected by injury and a 41-game suspension last season. His happy demeanour has been a highly positive influence in the room.
The drought for these players will end with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, set for either April 20th or 21st. So that's one big hurdle they're finally past.
But are they ready for more?
By Steve Warne
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