Brady Tkachuk hoping to crack Sens' roster out of camp, remain for the season

Brady Tkachuk has his sights set on playing in the NHL right away, and he believes he's ready to stick around for the entire campaign.

The Ottawa Senators prospect made that clear when asked what he believes is the best spot for him during the upcoming season.

"I think it's with Ottawa and in the NHL," Tkachuk told TSN 1200 on Monday. "For me it's a dream of mine to play there. I think I'm physically ready and mentally ready for the grind that comes with the NHL. ... At the end of the day, it's where the management thinks is best for me, but I'm going to try my best to be on Ottawa for the whole year."

The fourth overall pick in June's draft signed his entry-level contract with the Senators on Monday, opting to leave Boston University after a solid freshman season in which he posted 31 points in 40 games.

"BU was such a great spot to me, so it was hard to leave, but it had to happen eventually," Tkachuk said. "It's a dream of mine to be in the NHL, and I thought this was the right time."

The Senators have a few options with Tkachuk, who will turn 19 on Sept. 16.

They can give him a spot with the NHL club out of camp and keep him on the big club's roster all season, as he's aiming for. But they could also either loan him to the OHL's London Knights, who own his junior rights, or assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, perhaps after giving him a nine-game trial with Ottawa.