The Ottawa Senators stunned the NHL by agreeing to a massive trade with the Florida Panthers. Ottawa is sending its former captain, Brady Tkachuk, to the Cats in exchange for a solid package of draft picks.
The deal consists of mostly of futures for the Senators. As insider Pierre LeBrun initially reported, the Senators will be getting the 9th-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the 25th selection (acquired in an earlier trade with the Seattle Kraken), a 2029 first-rounder, and a 2030 second-rounder.
The picks going to Ottawa will be the 9th overall pick this year, 25th overall this year, 2029 first-round pick and a 2030 second round pick.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 21, 2026
I think the Senators tried on Lundell but Florida held firm, Panthers view him as a 1C. Didn't want to trade him.
LeBrun reported that the part of the ask was Anton Lundell, but the Panthers wouldn’t budge. Instead, Florida was willing to part with three first-round picks to make the deal work.
The trade ends seemingly years of speculation regarding Tkachuk’s future in the Nation’s Capital. Even after the platitudes in which Brady Tkachuk vowed to stay in Ottawa, it was evident the team’s former captain wasn’t going to last very long with the Senators.
Senators had no choice but to trade Brady Tkachuk to Florida
It might seem implausible that the Senators would trade Tkachuk to the Panthers, a division rival. But the fact is that they had no other choice.
According to LeBrun, the Senators had been in talks with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights. The other team believed to be in the mix was the Minnesota Wild.
My understanding is the Senators also had conversations with Carolina and Vegas, other teams that were on Tkachuk's list. I also think Minnesota was on the list. Four-team list but in the end, Brady obviously wanted to go join his brother in Florida.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 21, 2026
Senators made the best of a…
But in the end, there was no other choice. Brady Tkahuk wanted to join his brother Matthew in Florida. And so, Brady Tkachuk wasn’t going to waive his no-trade clause for just any team. His first choice was Florida, hence the deal that resulted.
Even with that situation unfolding, the Senators were fortunate to get the deal they did for Tkachuk. Two additional first-round picks in this year’s draft, including the 9th-overall pick, are much more than most would have anticipated.
With a top-10 pick in this draft, the Senators can easily replace Tkachuk, who, frankly, is on the decline. While there’s a chance that joining the Panthers could rejuvenate Brady Tkachuk, it remains to be seen if he can stay healthy in Florida.
Following the trade, the Senators now have over $25 million in cap space. That should be plenty of moolah to help offset the loss of a crucial part of the team’s offense.
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