Panthers trade – The Florida Panthers have reportedly acquired Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, pairing him again with brother Matthew just ahead of the 2026 Olympic season spotlight at the White House. The Senators’ side of the blockbuster package includes key future dr
Donald Trump greeted the USA men’s hockey team at the White House after their 2026 Olympic gold win ahead of the State of the Union, a moment that landed just as another high-stakes hockey shift was already underway.
On Sunday. June 21. the Florida Panthers—whose Stanley Cup playoff run ended this past season after they missed the postseason in a year riddled with injuries—have reportedly reloaded in a deal big enough to reshape the next few drafts. The Panthers are said to have traded for Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk. reuniting him with his brother Matthew and delivering. as one detail in the reporting puts it. an “undoubtedly” meaningful Father’s Day gift for their dad Keith. a U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer.
Brady and Matthew Tkachuk won Olympic gold together at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, when they upset Canada. Their return to the same roster now adds a personal story to a hard-edged business decision—one that starts with urgency on Ottawa’s side.
The Senators are expected to receive a heavy haul of picks, including two selections in the upcoming NHL draft. According to Elliotte Friedman, the return is the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 NHL draft. The No. 25 pick had been acquired earlier on June 21 by trading Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken. Ottawa would also receive a 2029 first-round pick and a second in 2030.
For the deal to happen, Brady Tkachuk waived his no movement clause. That step matters because it contrasts with how negotiations often stall when players insist on staying put.
The push appears to have been fueled by a contract clock. Reports from the Ottawa Citizen say Tkachuk had indicated to the Senators he would not re-sign in Ottawa when his contract expires in two years, raising the urgency to make a move rather than risk losing him for nothing.
This is not the first time an American player has forced his way out of a Canadian roster. It’s the second such move in the past 12 months, with Quinn Hughes traded to the Minnesota Wild partway through the 2025-26 season after he was with the Vancouver Canucks.
Pierre LeBrun’s reporting adds another layer to the chase. He says Tkachuk’s list was down to the newly crowned Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. the Vegas Golden Knights. the Wild. and the Panthers. LeBrun also reported that Ottawa made a push to acquire Anton Lundell from Florida, but ultimately settled for the picks.
Under the reported terms, the Panthers receive LW Brady Tkachuk. The Senators receive 2026 No. 9 overall, 2026 No. 25 overall, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2030 second-round pick.
The Senators, meanwhile, did not receive any players in return. They are instead taking two first-round picks in the 2026 NHL entry draft—Nos. 9 and 25—plus a first in 2029 and a second in 2030.
Brady Tkachuk’s contract details help explain why Ottawa faced a narrow window. He is on the back end of a seven-year, $57.5 million deal with an AAV of $8.2 million. He has two years remaining and is anticipated to become a free agent in the 2028 offseason unless he signs an extension with the Panthers.
Matthew Tkachuk is in a different timeline. He is on the fifth year of an eight-year, $76 million contract with a $9.5 million AAV and is slated to become a free agent in 2030.
On the ice, Brady Tkachuk’s most recent season gives a snapshot of what the Panthers are buying. He logged 59 points last season with 22 goals and 37 assists. He played in 60 games, the lowest total in a full season in his career, and finished with 221 shots and a shot percentage of 10%.
Across his career, Tkachuk has scored 213 goals and has 250 assists. He served as Senators captain since 2021 and leaves Ottawa with the fourth-most goals in Senators history after spending his entire career in Ottawa to date.
The sequence—Brady’s no-movement waiver. Ottawa’s two-year re-signing urgency. and a return built entirely around 2026 and later draft capital—maps out the trade’s central pressure points without needing extra decoration: the players’ futures and the teams’ timelines collided. and the deal turned that collision into pick packages instead of player swaps.
As June 21 continues, the implications already reach beyond a single trade. For Florida, it’s a major roster statement after a difficult injury-heavy season. For Ottawa, it’s a turn toward rebuilding through the draft, centered on the 2026 selections at No. 9 and No. 25, plus a first-round opportunity in 2029 and a second-round pick in 2030.
Florida Panthers Ottawa Senators Brady Tkachuk Matthew Tkachuk NHL trade 2026 NHL draft No. 9 No. 25 2029 first-round pick 2030 second-round pick no movement clause contract details