Tkachuk Brothers Unite
Florida Panthers Reportedly Acquiring Brady Tkachuk From Ottawa Senators To Reunite With Brother Matthew
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The Florida Panthers have acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators, reuniting him with his brother Matthew in South Florida, according to The Associated Press. The deal sends four draft picks to Ottawa, including three first-rounders, making it one of the biggest trades of the 2026 NHL offseason.
Brady, 26, spent his entire career in Ottawa and served as team captain. He posted 22 goals and 59 points in 60 games this past season, TSN reported. The trade was finalized on June 21, 2026, pending official league approval.
Four Picks Sent North in Blockbuster Deal
Ottawa receives a steep package in return for their captain. The Senators get the No. 9 pick and No. 25 pick in the 2026 draft, plus a 2029 first-rounder and a 2030 second-rounder, according to Sportsnet. That is three first-round picks and one second-round pick total.
Florida moved quickly to build the package. Earlier on June 21, the Panthers sent forward Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 second-rounder. That deal gave them the assets to make the Tkachuk trade possible, The Boston Globe reported.
Brothers Reunite After Olympic Gold in Milan
Brady and Matthew Tkachuk already share one big win in 2026. In February, they played together on Team USA at the Winter Olympics in Milan. The brothers helped the US beat Canada 2-1 in the gold medal game — the first American Olympic hockey gold in 46 years, the Miami Herald reported.
Matthew has been with Florida since 2022 and won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025. Now Brady joins him on what analysts are calling the most physical and skilled top-six in the entire league. Brady's contract runs two more years at $8.21 million per season against the cap.
Ottawa's Rebuild Collapses After Playoff Sweep
The Senators were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2026 playoffs. Brady Tkachuk was held pointless across all four games. General manager Steve Staios chose to cash in the captain for draft picks rather than run it back, Sportsnet reported.
Tkachuk had grown frustrated in Ottawa. At an April press conference he said: "I have been fully committed to this team, to the city, and it's just becoming a distraction." The Senators reached the playoffs only once during his tenure — a 2025 first-round loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Panthers Now Face a Cap Crunch to Stay Competitive
Florida has $15.2 million in cap space remaining, but the roster is far from complete. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is entering free agency, meaning the Panthers need to find and sign two netminders, according to The New York Post. Adding Tkachuk's $8.21 million cap hit makes that math very tight.
Analysts are split on the move. Some call Florida a legitimate "super-team" built to contend immediately. Others are skeptical about the price. One Reddit user bluntly wrote: "Would be very moronic to blow four draft picks for a player who might help us make it to the second round before getting swept." The Panthers missed the 2026 playoffs entirely before making this move.
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