Senators and Tkachuk's contract dispute reportedly not salary related

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the contract dispute going on between Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators is not salary related, and instead has to do with incentives.

Tkachuk, 22, remains without a contract despite training camp set to begin on Wednesday. There have been reports that the Senators have offered him a long-term deal with an AAV of around $8 million, which has made it confusing to many why a contract hasn't been signed. However, according to Friedman, the issues are the structure of the contract, as well as the no trade protection throughout the deal. Friedman mentions that while the Senators don't typically do bonuses, Tkachuk would like to get bonuses similar to other star players around the league.

This situation has to be getting worrisome for Senators fans. This is a team with a bright young core, and Tkachuk leads that charge, but the fact this has dragged on so long should certainly be a cause for concern at this point. Hopefully they are able to get a deal done soon, as the Sens need him in their lineup. During the 2020-21 season, his 36 points in 56 contests led his team.