“I think he had mixed feelings about being traded, because he had just been drafted to the Sharks. I think once he processed the emotions, he realized how cool it was. You don’t get to play with your best friend often and on the same line, as well,” Brady Tkachuk had remarked once his best friend was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2018 after he was picked by the San Jose Sharks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. But oh, how fast the time changes! After 6 seasons and countless memories, the NHL trade deadline just gave us the biggest gut punch of the year.

If you’ve been anywhere near a Sens’ thread on X in the past 24 hours, you already know what’s up. Joshua Norris — Ottawa’s golden boy and Brady Tkachuk’s literal best friend for life — got traded to the Buffalo Sabres, and let’s just say… feelings are being felt. This isn’t your average roster shake-up, this is full-on bromance heartbreak.

The boys over at Spittin’ Chiclets — aka the podcast you either love, hate, or hate-love — caught the scoop right from the source. On their March 7 episode, they dropped the clip that had every Sens fan reaching for the tissues, as Brady Tkachuk, Senators’ captain, got misty-eyed talking about Norris’ departure. After all, when the Faces Magazine had asked him previously about what it’s like to play with the 25-year-old as his center, he had the following words for him:

“We’ve had a lot of fun. I think what’s been great about us is how much we pushed each other on and off the ice over the years, and we’re still pushing each other now. And we’re making great memories.”

And now that Joshua Norris’ trade is a reality, Brady gave us this absolute tearjerker of a quote, as his voice cracked: “Um, yeah. Yeah, it’s pretty tough… So yeah, I don’t want to… Yeah, it sucks. Losing a guy like that. Obviously, everybody knows how much it means to me… So yeah, next question.” And if you thought that was the end of the waterworks — buckle up.

When pressed for the why behind all those emotions, Brady doubled down, saying: “Yeah, I mean, just, just our history. Yeah. So I’m just gonna keep short and sweet.” Locker room vibes are going to be different now. And the Sens? They just lost a huge piece of their core. So what’s the backstory here? Let’s break down the facts and all — because this trade wasn’t just about friendship feels, it was serious business.

Here’s the tea straight from the league office — Ottawa shipped out Joshua Norris and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to the Buffalo Sabres. In return, they snagged Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert, and a 2026 second-round pick. And if your first reaction was “Wait, WHAT?” Congrats, and same! Could such a deal shake the entire Sens locker room?

The Senators basically hit shuffle on their future for a fresh start, but Buffalo’s the one rolling the dice here. Norris is crazy talented — the dude’s got 90 goals and 156 points in 236 games with the Senators. This season alone, after finally enjoying a more healthy run, he’s already sitting on 20 goals and 33 points in 53 games. But (and it’s a big but), his injury history is straight-up brutal.

This trade is a gamble for Buffalo, betting that Norris can finally stay healthy and deliver those top-line numbers without his body betraying him. Meanwhile, Ottawa’s haul is lowkey solid. Cozens brings firepower and grit, Gilbert adds some much-needed depth on D, and the second-rounder is future-proofing 101. 

Moving on, as there are still a few hours left before the NHL trade deadline closes, another unexpected trade has taken place.

Mikko Rantanen is no longer with the Carolina Hurricanes

Some have pointed out that it was an offer too good for the Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars to pass up on. And let’s just say that the looming uncertainity about his future in the league wasn’t of much help either. So, he was traded to Dallas by the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and then, he signed an eight-year, $96 million contract.

Additionally, in return for Rantanen, the Hurricanes received forward Logan Stankoven, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 and 2028 NHL Draft along with a third-round pick in the 2026 and 2027 NHL Draft. The 28-year-old forward was in the final season of his six-year, $55.5 million contract with the Avalanche. It was the same team that had selected him as the first round pick (No. 10) in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Acknowleding his trade, Rantanen said, “Obviously, it’s a really good team in Carolina, the last couple of years they’ve been close to the Stanley Cup. But I think the fit in Dallas and I’ve been thinking a lot about it with myself and my camp and (my girlfriend) Susanna and everything. Just the fit I feel like everywhere, I think that was what the decision was.”

To say that the trades that have happened in the very last moments of the deadline have been somewhat shocking would be an understatement. But hey, isn’t that what sports is about? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.