Ottawa Throwing Red Wings DeBrincat Under Bus

Forward Alex DeBrincat, among the newest Detroit Red Wings, was recently throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a Detroit Tigers game.

Based upon the vitriol coming out of Ottawa, it appears that Senators supporters would rather that DeBrincat be hit with a pitch.

Acquired from the Senators during the offseason, the deal that was sending Farmington Hills-born DeBrincat to the Red Wings materialized once it became apparent that he had no intention to be signing a new contract in order to remain in Ottawa.

Shep and C-Mo are joined in the booth by new @DetroitRedWings forward @Brinksy97, who threw today's ceremonial 1st pitch and is on the verge of starting his 1st season in Hockeytown!#RepDetroit I #LGRW pic.twitter.com/5619K8GlnP

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) September 10, 2023

Were he choosing to remain with the Senators, DeBrincat wouldn’ve been becoming an unrestricted free agent following the 2023-24 NHL season. Instead, shortly after his acquisition by Detroit, DeBrincat was signing a four-year, $31-million contract extension with the Red Wings.

“It’s a good spot for me,” DeBrincat said of coming to Detroit. “Been moving around a lot, so it’s nice to have that security for four years, for us and my family. It’s nice that we don’t have to leave home to go play.

“I think it was just a great fit for every aspect of our lives.”

Senators Disagree With DeBrincat

Senators forward Tim Stutzle, who also happens to be a close friend of Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider, was recently appearing on the podcast 32 Thoughts. Stutzle made it abundantly clear what his opinion was about players like DeBrincat who are seeking ways out of Ottawa.

"If you don't want to be there, then good luck on your way."

In the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, Tim Stützle speaks to @JeffMarek and @FriedgeHNIC on the importance of having players in Ottawa that want to be there.

🎧: https://t.co/Ii7ETKpL6C

Presented by @GMCcanada. pic.twitter.com/ghOR4XGQe7

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 8, 2023

“If he doesn’t want to be there, I don’t want to make him have to be there,” Stutzle told co-hosts Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. “That’s fine to us. I think the whole group, we’ve been saying it, we want him to stay. We want him to be part of this group and he’s a great guy, great player.

“If you don’t want to be there, then good luck on your way.”

There was also a report from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. In it, the longtime Senators beat writer suggests that team sources were saying DeBrincat wanted out of Ottawa because he didn’t want to play on the second line behind Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.

Dominik Kubalik, who went the other way in the DeBrincat deal, is projecting to play on Ottawa’s third line. Kubalik was a 20-goal scorer for Detroit last season.