NHL Rumors: Panthers Linked To Brady Tkachuk
"Think about this," MacLean said. "Everybody's trying to get in the top ten. Florida has the ninth pick in the draft. Where is Brady Tkachuk gonna want to go?"
He continued: "Florida will never have another top-ten pick for two or three years. This is the time when you've got to move on Florida. You pick up a couple of quality players. You pick up the ninth pick. You know Brady wants to go to Florida. You know he's gonna probably go there within two years. I wouldn't be surprised if Brady Tkachuk is in Florida at the draft."
The prediction sits alongside reporting from David Pagnotta, who said earlier this month that there is a good chance the Ottawa Senators explore trading their captain this summer.
"I think there are different parameters for him that have factored into perhaps that personal decision," Pagnotta said, declining to elaborate beyond noting the reasons are multiple and not exclusively about playing in Ottawa.
Tkachuk has two years remaining on his contract at $8.2 million per season and holds a full no-movement clause, meaning he controls where he goes entirely.
Why Florida
The Tkachuk family reunion narrative has been building for years.
Matthew Tkachuk was traded to Florida in 2022 and helped the Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Brady and Matthew skated together on the same line at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in South Florida, at the 2025 Four Nations Face-Off, and most recently at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics, where the two brothers helped Team USA win its first Olympic gold in ice hockey since 1980.
“There’s room for growth in Brady’s game around the net” 👀
— Coming In Hot (@ComingInHotSens) May 24, 2026
Mike Kelly explains why Brady Tkachuk could become even more dangerous offensively for the Ottawa Senators with a few tweaks around the crease.@GraemeNichols
Presented by @bet365_ca #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/b8GQU4UtAn
MacLean's argument is that Florida is uniquely positioned to make a deal work precisely because the ninth overall pick is the currency Ottawa would need to begin any serious negotiation, and it is a pick the Panthers will not have again for years.
The Senators are unlikely to trade Tkachuk within the Eastern Conference under normal circumstances.
His no-movement clause removes that veto power from the organization, and if Tkachuk wants to go to Florida to play with his brother, Ottawa cannot stop it.
The Complications
The Panthers enter the offseason already navigating their Bobrovsky contract situation, which remains unresolved, and carry approximately $15.3 million in projected cap space.
Absorbing Tkachuk's $8.2 million while replacing Bobrovsky and filling remaining depth needs would require significant roster restructuring.
Ottawa's preference, assuming they explore a trade at all, would be to move Tkachuk west.
"You just need pure reps ... you can't study your way out of it."
— Wingmen with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk (@Wingmenpod) May 25, 2026
The Air Force Thunderbirds' training schedule is DIFFERENT 😳✈️ pic.twitter.com/NJdXTRJTIV
Keeping him in the Eastern Conference creates a natural reluctance, though Tkachuk's no-movement clause and reported personal preference for Florida overrides the Senators' organizational desires.
Whether the ninth pick is the right centerpiece depends entirely on where Ottawa has Tkachuk valued relative to the full market that would form around him if this becomes public and real.
Photo Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
