The Florida Panthers acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators in a Sunday night NHL trade, adding Ottawa's longtime captain to a forward group that already includes his brother, Matthew Tkachuk.
Florida sent four draft picks to Ottawa: the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Tampa Bay's 2026 first-round pick, the Panthers' 2027 second-round pick and a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2029. The Tampa Bay first-rounder had been acquired by Florida earlier Sunday in the deal that sent Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken.
Panthers Add Brady Tkachuk Without Moving A Core Scorer
The move gives the Panthers another top-line-caliber power forward without costing any of their top seven scorers from last season, according to the AP report distributed through the NHL news wire. Florida president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito described Tkachuk as a physical, relentless forward and a proven leader.
Brady Tkachuk has two seasons remaining on the seven-year, $57.56 million contract he signed in October 2021, when he also became Ottawa's captain. That contract term matters for Florida because this is not a rental move ahead of the draft and free agency. It is a sizable bet on another Tkachuk fitting into a room built around long-term core players.
Matthew Tkachuk has spent the past four seasons with the Panthers, winning two Stanley Cups and reaching the Stanley Cup Final three times. The brothers also played together for the United States at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
Ottawa Turns Its Captain Into Draft Capital
For Ottawa, the trade ends Brady Tkachuk's eight-season run with the Senators. The club drafted him No. 4 overall in 2018, and he was captain for the past five seasons.
The AP report listed Tkachuk as Ottawa's leader over that span in goals, points, power-play goals, shots, hits, game-winning goals, multigoal games and penalty minutes. The totals attached to the move are substantial: 213 goals, 463 points, 62 power-play goals, 2,202 shots, 1,921 hits, 28 game-winning goals, 30 multigoal games and 821 penalty minutes.
Senators general manager Steve Staios said the decision was not taken lightly and pointed to cap space and draft capital as the return Ottawa can use to reshape the roster. The wording fits the transaction: Ottawa moved a franchise face and got a package aimed more at flexibility and future assets than immediate scoring help.
The timing lands just before the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency. Florida now adds a 26-year-old captain with term, while Ottawa moves into the week with two 2026 first-round picks from Florida's package and a wider set of options.