The Florida Panthers needed to find a spark.
They had won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, but then last season, they didn’t even make the playoffs. This past offseason was pivotal. They had to get it right.
Enter Brady Tkachuk.
The star forward from the Ottawa Senators had been a logical target of Florida for a while. After all, they already have his older brother, Matthew.
And on June 21, the Panthers pulled off the blockbuster trade to bring Brady aboard.
It’s the kind of trade that can propel a good team right back into title contention. Brady, coming off a bumpy year with the Sens, is surely pumped to be with his big bro.
The rest of the league probably doesn’t love it. After a year of not having to worry about the Panthers, they surely have to fret about Florida once again.
How Panthers Got Brady Tkachuk in Trade
The Panthers had to overwhelm the Senators with draft capital to get Brady Tkachuk.
The trade sent the Nos. 9 and 25 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, plus a conditional first-rounder in the 2029 NHL Draft. The deal also sent a 2027 second-round pick to Ottawa.
So it was four picks, three in the first round, for Tkachuk.
After the deal, NHL.com summed up Brady’s value like this: “Tkachuk, who had 59 points (22 goals, 37 assists) in 60 games last season, is a candidate to play on the top line. He has two seasons remaining on the seven-year contract he signed with the Senators on Oct. 21, 2021.”
In other words, that’s two seasons to try and win a championship with his brother.
Of course, they already did that in the Winter Olympics for Team USA as 2026 gold medalists.
The long grind of an NHL season is different, and after the Panthers were injury-plagued in 2025-26, they’ll have to be healthier this year to make it happen.
It certainly doesn’t hurt to have two Tkachuk brothers now, though.
Brady and Matthew Tkachuk: NHL Brothers
The Tkachuk brothers would be popular by themselves, but they add to that by having a brother in the NHL at the same time who is a lot like them.
They’re both talented attackers but also physical, tough players.
Their dad, Keith, is an all-time legend. It’s a family of hockey, to be sure.
They’ve never had the chance to play together in the NHL until Tuesday night when they open the season against the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes.
The brothers will have the chance to do all sorts of things together — assist on a goal for each other, force a turnover together, celebrate key moments side by side.
It’ll certainly be easier for their parents to watch them play consistently. Wherever the Florida Panthers go, the Tkachuk family will go, too.
How Panthers Traded for Brady Tkachuk to Join Brother Matthew