Panthers Acquire Brady Tkachuk In Blockbuster Trade With Senators

After being a dominant dynasty in the NHL and winning multiple Stanley Cups, the Florida Panthers had a down season while a new champion was crowned, with the Carolina Hurricanes reaching hockey’s pinnacle.

But since that happened, Florida has retaken headlines, started to retool the roster, and made it clear it wants to reestablish itself as the best team in the NHL next season.

And to do that, the Panthers made a massive splash.

Florida acquired Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk in a blockbuster trade, pairing him with his brother and current Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers sent Ottawa a pick-driven package that included the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, a top-10 protected 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.

That’s a significant haul for Ottawa, but the fascinating part for Florida is that the Panthers didn’t give up a single established NHL player from their core.

Instead, they essentially used draft capital to land one of the league’s premier power forwards. Brady Tkachuk is still only 26 years old, has two years left on his contract and is coming off a season in which he produced 59 points in 60 games.

Now, the Tkachuk brothers are teammates in Florida.

That makes this more than just a huge move in the Stanley Cup championship race for next season. It’s also one of the coolest feel-good stories in recent NHL memory. Brady and Matthew have already played together on the international stage with Team USA, and now they’ll share the ice at the NHL level for one of the league’s most aggressive franchises.

For Ottawa, this is about draft capital and future flexibility. For Florida, it’s about getting back to the top immediately.

The Panthers already had the championship pedigree. Now they’ve added even more toughness, star power and personality.