Senators trade – Florida pulled off another blockbuster on Sunday night, finalizing a deal with Ottawa that sends Brady Tkachuk to the Panthers for four draft picks, highlighted by the No. 9 selection and Tampa Bay’s first-rounder. The move reunites Brady with his brother Matt
Brady Tkachuk is about to leave Ottawa for South Florida, and the timing feels like a statement. On Sunday night, the Panthers closed another high-profile summer trade by finalizing a deal with the Senators that sends Tkachuk to Florida in exchange for four draft picks.
The framework is straightforward but expensive: Florida will send the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft, Tampa Bay’s first-round pick this year, the Panthers’ second-round pick in 2027, and the Panthers’ top 10-protected first-round pick in 2029 to Ottawa for Brady Tkachuk.
Florida also pulled a key lever earlier Sunday to make that Tampa Bay first-rounder available. sending Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle in a separate trade. With both deals now in place. the Panthers add another elite forward to their group without losing any of their top seven scorers from the past season.
Panthers hockey operations president and general manager Bill Zito didn’t try to soften the pitch. “Brady is a dynamic competitor and one of the most physical and relentless forwards in the league,” Zito said. “A proven leader and exactly the type of player we want in our locker room. he strives to make everyone around him better both on and off the ice. We’re thrilled to welcome Brady to South Florida to join our group as we continue our pursuit of championship hockey.”.
The big human element in all of it is family. Brady Tkachuk has spent the entirety of his eight-year NHL career in Ottawa. Now he joins his brother. Olympic teammate and podcast co-host Matthew Tkachuk in Florida—the same place where Matthew has spent the last four seasons. winning two Stanley Cups and reaching the final three times.
Brady arrives with contract runway left. He has two seasons remaining on the seven-year, $57.56 million deal he signed in October 2021, the same offseason he was named Ottawa’s captain. His Ottawa tenure also includes a clear timeline for leadership: he was captain for the last five seasons.
That leadership showed up in numbers that Ottawa fans won’t forget. During his eight years with the Senators. Brady was the club’s all-time leader in goals (213). points (463). power-play goals (62). shots (2. 202). hits (1. 921). winning goals (28). multi-goal games (30) and penalty minutes (821). Ottawa acquired him with the No. 4 pick in the 2018 draft.
Even the emotions behind this trade have been visible. As recently as late April, Brady bristled at conversation about his name being in trade rumours after Ottawa’s first-round playoff exit. The decision, Senators general manager Steve Staios said Sunday, was not treated like a quick pivot.
“This was not a decision we took lightly, but ultimately we did what we felt was best for the long-term future of our hockey club,” Staios said. “We now possess cap space and draft capital and will be actively working to improve our roster.”
For Florida, the move also carries a familiar web of relationships that make the transition easier. Brady and Matthew have already shared elite stages together for USA Hockey at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025. where they won silver. and at the Milan Cortina Olympics this year. where they won gold—the first Olympic gold for the American men’s program since the miracle in Lake Placid 46 years ago.
Their parents. with their dad being NHL legend Keith Tkachuk. have a home in Florida and are regular attendees at Panthers games. Zito had a role within USA Hockey during this past Olympic cycle. and Panthers equipment manager Teddy Richards had a role with the 4 Nations and Milan Cortina teams as well. Brady, in other words, is walking into an organization where people already know his rhythm.
The trade also lands right on top of Florida’s broader roster-building. The Panthers have locked up a slate of players for several seasons going forward. including Aleksander Barkov. Aaron Ekblad. Sam Reinhart. Sam Bennett. Carter Verhaeghe. Gustav Forsling. Anton Lundell and others. All of them are Stanley Cup winners, and with Brady now in the mix, the Panthers’ window only looks wider.
Four years after landing Matthew Tkachuk, Florida has tapped into the Tkachuk family’s talent pool again. For Ottawa, the cost is steep in draft value. For Florida. the payoff is immediate: a proven. physical presence to join a forward corps already built for deep postseason runs—exactly the kind of change that turns good teams into championship ones.
Brady Tkachuk Matthew Tkachuk Florida Panthers Ottawa Senators NHL trade Bill Zito Steve Staios draft picks Mackie Samoskevich Seattle Kraken USA Hockey 4 Nations Face-Off Milan Cortina Olympics