The Senators are firmly in control of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, thanks in large part to Tkachuk, who’s been virtually unstoppable lately.

The link between Tkachuk and the Rangers, however, is not new. In December, a report from the New York Post linked him to New York, prompting a strong response from Senators owner Michael Andlauer, who accused the Rangers of “soft tampering.”

Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators captain, achieved significant milestones by becoming fourth on the team's all-time goals list and reaching 400 career p