Grade Florida Panthers’ Blockbuster Trade for Brady Tkachuk – Hockey Writers – Florida Panthers

Well, we have our first blockbuster trade for the 2026 NHL offseason. Early Sunday evening (June 21), the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers were involved in a deal that sent star player Brady Tkachuk to the Panthers in exchange for three first-round picks and a second-round pick. Here are the full details:

Panthers get:

Senators get:

• 2026 first round pick (9th overall)
• 2026 first round pick (25th overall)
• 2029 first round pick
• 2030 second round pick

This is a devastating blow to the Senators, who have been a team on the rise for the past few seasons. They don’t have to tear it down and rebuild, but the playoffs could be a tall order next season. As for the Panthers, the rich only get richer, and the Tkachuk brothers are now together at Sunrise.

The Senators Made the Best of This Situation

Bruce Garrioch reported that Tkachuk told Senators management that he had no intention of re-signing with the team when his contract expires in two years. That led general manager Steve Staios to trade him to Florida to play with his brother, Matthew.

Normally, I like to start these trade grade topics with the team that returns a player, but let’s start with the Senators. All things considered, Staios did well to extract as much value as possible. Tkachuk had a no-movement clause and gave the Senators a list of four teams to move to (Florida, Vegas, Carolina, and Minnesota) (From ‘Panthers close Brady Tkachuk trade with Senators: Sources’ – The Athletic, 6/21/2026).

Getting three first-round picks is good business for the Senators. They will now enter this week’s NHL Draft with three first-round picks (ninth overall, 25th overall, and 32nd overall). Staios could use all three picks to add high-end talent to their pool, or he could flip one or two to add NHL-ready talent to the Senators’ roster.

I know this is a blow to Senators fans in the short term. Their chances of qualifying for next season took a heavy hit in the full Atlantic Division. But there are still good players yet to be built in Ottawa, and adding a first- and second-round pick could help Staios retool the Senators without getting into another long-term structure. They make the best of a difficult situation.

Seniors Grade: B+

Panthers Reload

The Panthers may miss the playoffs this season, but I wouldn’t bet on that happening again in 2026-27. They need to find a solution in net, but adding Brady Tkachuk gives them one of the strongest top sixes in the NHL.

Brady is not quite the player that his brother is, but he is an elite forward who can score 30-35 goals and 70+ points per season. He is one of the top scorers in the game, and an elite player. His finishing ability has improved over the years, and so has his play.

Do the Panthers need another Tkachuk? Never, but when the opportunity arises, you can’t pass it up. Adding another Tkachuk to the mix should give the Panthers one of the best offensive teams to play against with Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Matthew Tkachuk. And don’t forget, Aleksander Barkov will be healthy to start next season.

Consider a starting line of Tkachuk, Barkov, and Tkachuk. Even the best defensive units will have their hands full trying to defend them. And I’m sure GM Bill Zito has a few things up his sleeve before the fireworks of the season end.

The Panthers paid a high price for Brady, but they are in winning mode now. Major draft picks don’t matter until their window closes, and adding Tkachuk, 26, extends his window while shrinking their roster. It’s an uphill battle for Zito as he looks to restructure his roster on the move so he can make it to the finals next season.

Panthers grade: A+