Ottawa Senators star player Tim Stützle has agreed to comment for the first time on the departure of his former teammate Alex DeBrincat.
The latter was transferred to the Detroit Red Wings in July after just one season with the team from the Canadian capital. Ottawa received Dominik Kubalik, Donovan Sebrango, a conditional first-round pick in the 2024 draft and, in return, a fourth-round pick in 2024.
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“I can’t force him [à rester] if he doesn’t want to be in Ottawa and that’s fine with us. I think the whole group wanted him to stay with us. We wanted him to be part of our team and he is both a good guy and a good player,” said the German on the “32 Thoughts” podcast.
In addition, Stützle is pleased that several important faces of the Ottawa franchise have made long-term commitments to the “Sens”. These include Thomas Chabot, Brady Tkachuk, Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson.
“I think the guys who are signed long-term really want to be here, and that’s the most important thing for us,” added the third overall pick in the 2020 National League Draft.
The 20-year-old skater was his team’s best last year with 90 points, including 39 goals, in 78 games.