Brady Tkachuk’s Inclusion in Recent NHL List Sparks Heated Debate in Hockey Community

Having a sibling as good as Matthew Tkachuk on the ice is something that inherently makes Brady Tkachuk look average at best. On top of it, the Ottawa Senators’ recent Stanley Cup track record is hardly comparable to that of the Panthers. Naturally, most fans would agree that the two Tkachuk brothers aren’t in the same category as hockey players.

The younger Tkachuk brother has spent seven seasons with the Senators and has posted 50+ points in several of those. And yet, his skills with the hockey stick haven’t been able to bring the Canadian team enough postseason glory. Compared to that, Matthew has been a formidable driving force behind the Cats’ back-to-back Stanley Cup triumphs. For justifiable reasons, fans aren’t really up for placing the 25-year-old star in the same league as his older brother.

The official NHL Network X handle shared a post on August 4 that seems to have divided the hockey community with its stance. “Brady Tkachuk is a lock for the Top 20, but will he squeeze into the Top 10 on our Top Wings Right Now list?” wondered the caption of the social media update, while noting that the final verdict on the matter will be made public on Wednesday.

But is the question of whether Brady deserves a place in the NHL‘s top 10 even justified to begin with? After all, the Senators made it to the 2025 playoffs after missing out on seven straight postseasons, six of which were with Tkachuk on the roster. Moreover, in his seven years of playing for Ottawa, Brady has posted a positive +/- score in only two seasons.

Compared to that, Matthew Tkachuk has a much more solid track record. In his nine NHL seasons playing for the Calgary Flames and the Florida Panthers, Matthew has had a positive +/- score six times. After he came to Sunrise, Florida, in 2022, the Cats have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals thrice in three years. That’s quite the benchmark to set for your sibling, and Brady hasn’t quite been able to match the high standard.

Furthermore, the younger Tkachuk brother was also far behind Matthew in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons in terms of total points. While Matthew being on video game covers might be something not every fan feels is justified, his status as an elite hockey player isn’t something that they have doubts about. Well, coming back from injury for the postseason and helping the team win the Stanley Cup for a second straight season will surely cement your position among the sport’s elites, for sure.

But when it comes to Brady, fans are less than convinced.

Fans aren’t ready to bestow the honor on Brady Tkachuk yet

At the 4 Nations Face-Off, the two Tkachuk brothers joined hands to help the USA bag a second-place finish in the international hockey tournament. Their brawl in the first match against Canada at the February competition will undoubtedly go down as hockey lore. But fans aren’t ready to show Brady the same kind of reverence as they do to Matthew, simply based on their on-ice performances in the NHL. “When everything clicks there’s not many better than him, but it doesn’t click often enough for Top 10 yet imho,” one fan outlined why Brady should be kept off the list for the time being.

On several occasions, Tkachuk has noted that he looks up to his older brother for inspiration. “He’s the epitome of a role model,” Brady admitted of Matthew, while claiming that the next goal as brothers is to win the Olympic gold together. But fans aren’t convinced that the younger sibling is still quite up there as a player. “he’s a mid winger,” one fan commented, while taking a step further and claiming that it’s his surname that brings Brady all the attention. “He’s a 1st liner no doubt and a great player who I would love on my team but top 10 winger is crazy,” said another.

However, it did seem like Brady also has some support. One fan reminded others that the numbers shouldn’t be the only thing to go by, “People look at points only to make these polls but if you look at the overall portrait of Brady Tkachuk’s game, he’s easily a top 10 winger in the game, easily.” More fans stepped forward, highlighting that Brady’s leadership has been crucial in helping the Senators hang on during troubled times.

“Pure talent and skill ? No Importance to his team ? Absolutely,” another netizen chimed in. What about you? Which side of the spectrum do you stand on in the matter? Weigh in on the debate with a comment.