Marc Methot comes to the defense of Brady Tkachuk.

Fans of professional sports have always been a very opinionated bunch and with the advent of social media that has become even more true over time. As such you can always find just about any take on a given topic if you look long and hard enough, but what many fans do not expect is to be rebuked by some of the professional athletes that they follow.

That was exactly the case for a number of Ottawa Senators fans over the weekend when former Ottawa Senators defenseman Marc Methot took exception to some of the commentary being thrown around regarding a current member of the organization. One of the hot topics this week has been the ongoing contract negotiations between Senators forward Brady Tkachuk and the organization, a topic that has become a source of frustration for many fans of the franchise.

First, Methot balked at the idea that Tkachuk should be willing to accept less for the betterment of the team. He even went so far as to argue that it was "stupid" that some were questioning his potential as a captain within the organization due to these negotiations.

Methot went on to suggest that all of this media frenzy surrounding the talks between Tkachuk and the Senators has been largely overblown. He indicated quite clearly that he believes Tkachuk will sign at some point, citing the fact that the Senators are in a great position both in terms of young talent and in terms of the National Hockey League's salary cap limit.

"I’ll finish with this," wrote Methot on Sunday. "The Senators are in a great spot. Tons of cap space, tons of young talent, great drafting, newly signed GM and head coach with a new team identity. Brady will sign at some point. Everybody just needs to take a deep breath. Enjoy!"

Last but not least, Methot wholeheartedly rejected the notion that Tkachuk holding out for more salary would put his team at a disadvantage. It seems clear to me that Methot believes a player should look out for his own best interest, while NHL general managers should be the ones who juggle salary constraints while building a proper team around their young stars.