The Florida Panthers had a busy Sunday ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. General Manager Bill Zito made two moves on the day, with the biggest being the acquisition of Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators.

NHL Rumors: Where Are the Brady Tkachuk Trade Rumors Coming From?

The Panthers are sending the 9th and 25th overall picks from the 2026 NHL Draft, along with a 2029 first-round pick and a 2030 2nd-round pick.

Despite all the public comments denying the trade speculation and insisting he wasn’t going to finish his career in Ottawa, Brady Tkachuk indeed wanted out. Whether it was the constant speculation or what happened following Team USA winning the Gold Medal, he went to management with a short list of teams and asked for a trade.

According to sources, the Panthers had been in talks with the Senators since Saturday night, and there was a good chance this would happen. There was confidence on the Panthers side of things.

Brady Tkachuk has two years left at $8,105,714 and wasn’t going to stay in Ottawa. He wanted to win and go play with his brother, Matthew Tkachuk. There is a belief that the Team USA locker room and group texts were a recruiting trip like in college football. Now the top American players, having won the Gold Medal, want to win the Stanley Cup.

There were others on his trade list, including the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and Carolina Hurricanes. However, the Ottawa Senators made the best of a tough situation when it came to trading their captain.

NHL Rumors: Several Team Would Like To Trade For Brady Tkachuk

This move was set up by the one made earlier on Sunday by GM Bill Zito, who traded Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken for the 25th pick in the 2026 Draft and a Conditional 2nd-round pick in 2026 (either the Columbus or Winnipeg pick). It will be the higher of the two picks.

Brady Tkachuk is Frustrated Having To Answer Trade Rumor Questions Constantly

The Florida Panthers want to take another shot at the Stanley Cup and can do it with Aleksander Barkov, Brady Tkachuk, and Anton Lundell down the middle. They also have Sam Bennett, who can play center.

It feels like the Panthers are not done yet. Bill Zito still needs a goalie. Do they re-sign Sergei Bobrovsky or try to make a trade for a goaltender? They have been linked to Connor Hellebuyck and Jordan Binnington. But again, what trade chips do they have if Anton Lundell is unmovable? Will they try to move Carter Verhaeghe?

Something to keep an eye on moving forward with the Panthers.

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