Ottawa Senators Trade Captain Brady Tkachuk to Florida Panthers for Multiple Draft Picks

The Ottawa Senators traded captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers on Sunday, June 21. ESPN reported that Ottawa received both of Florida's first-round picks in the 2026 NHL draft, including the No. 25 selection that Florida had acquired earlier that day from the Seattle Kraken for Mackie Samoskevich.

The Senators also obtained a top-10 protected 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick. Brady Tkachuk, 26, is under contract through 2028 with an $8.2 million annual cap hit. Florida general manager Bill Zito said in a news release that Brady is a dynamic competitor and one of the most physical and relentless forwards in the league.

Zito added that the team is thrilled to welcome Brady to South Florida to join the group as it continues its pursuit of championship hockey. Ottawa general manager Steve Staios said the decision was not taken lightly but was made in the best interest of the club's long-term future.

Staios stated that the Senators now possess cap space and draft capital and will be actively working to improve the roster.

The Senators made the playoffs but lost in the first round in each of the past two seasons. Brady Tkachuk had reiterated his commitment to Ottawa as recently as April after the team's season ended. Sources told ESPN that the Senators held talks with other teams about Tkachuk over the past few weeks and that he had input due to his no-trade clause.

Florida already had Matthew Tkachuk on its roster after acquiring him from the Calgary Flames in July 2022. Matthew, 28, helped lead the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final in each of his first three seasons with the team. The Tkachuk brothers helped the United States win gold at the 2026 Milan Olympics.