Panthers to Acquire Brady Tkachuk From Senators, Trade Mackie Samoskevich to Kraken
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports the Ottawa Senators are close to trading Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers.
Ottawa Senators trade Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers. (NHL Images).
LeBrun believes the Senators will receive three first-round draft picks plus a second-round pick if the deal is finalized.
Earlier in the day, the Panthers traded forward Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for the No. 25 pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in 2027.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the picks are the No. 9 and 25 selections in this year’s draft, a first-rounder in 2029, and a second-rounder in 2030.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers general manager Bill Zito appeared to be setting the stage for something when he shipped out Samoskevich and got back that first-round pick as part of the return. Considering the Panthers are built to win now, it was apparent that he would use that pick, along with his own first in this year’s draft, as bait to bring in an established top-six forward.
The Senators now have three picks in the first round of this year’s draft, as they also held the 32nd overall selection. It’ll be interesting to see what GM Steve Staios intends to do with them. He’s either preparing for a roster retool or rebuild, or he’ll use them as bait to find a suitable replacement for Tkachuk.
Whatever Staios does, this feels like the end of an era in Ottawa. Tkachuk was the face of the Senators going back to when he was chosen fourth overall in the 2018 Draft. For the past eight seasons, he was their leader, part of the young group of promising players expected to turn the Senators into Stanley Cup contenders.
The Senators made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but they were eliminated from the first round both times. Meanwhile, trade rumors dogged Tkachuk throughout those seasons. Despite his denials and those of Staios, the speculation never went away, with a lot of it claiming he’d like to one day join his brother, Matthew, on the Panthers.
So now, the Tkachuk brothers are reunited in Florida at last. Having those two together could boost the Panthers’ hopes of staging another run at the Stanley Cup, provided they avoid another rash of injuries to their core players.
With Brady’s $8.205 million AAV through 2027-28 added to the Panthers’ ledger, PuckPedia indicates they have just over $7 million in projected cap space for next season, with 19 active roster players signed.
That won’t leave enough to re-sign or replace goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov, meaning Zito likely isn’t done making moves, either through more trades or free agency.
We knew something was up when he traded Mackie. Zito has guts.
Zito, in my humble opinion, ranks right up there with Nill as the best 2 GMs in the league.
He sees what he wants and is unafraid to pay the price if in his view it improves his team.
George, I would add the gm’s from Carolina, Tampa, Vegas and Minnesota to your list they all keep making moves while everyone hesitates.
agree Snold49. They didn’t get where they are by being lucky.
Holy Smokes!!!!! Florida doesnt fool around. May as well take Florida off of the one of Larkins destinations. Thing is, Florida still needs a goalie. They may not be done but what have they got left to trade.
Man a few days ago I expressed my belief Ottawa needed more skill in their forward likes to diversify from the grit they currently have. This wasn’t what I had in. Mind. Be interesting to see what Staios plans. Picks in 2029 and 2030.doesnt really speak to me regarding next year’s chances. Ita still 2026 correct?
Ottawa can’t trade that 32nd pick. What’s the plan.
Jeff, as I say elsewhere, I’m more convinced than ever that Cozens moves to RW on that 1st line with Stutzle and that Staios will now move to acquire a term LW with a scoring touch using the # 25 pick and/or the 2029 1st plus to fill behind Tkachuk’s departure.
There are also some pretty good picks at that # 9 spot and that, I think, stays with Ottawa, as well as, of course, the 32nd.
George O namaste
As a Sens fan I can finally say…good hockey player, but I really dislike him.
Good return. Lots of picks and whole bunch of cap space. And him gone.
LOL. Just got home from visiting the wife in long-term care, opened the site to see if there was anything new ,,, and wham!
Well, it wasn’t the Rangers … or St. Louis … but I’ve maintained all along that it would not surprise me to see the brothers united somewhere. And is totally keeping with my philosophy that there should be NO player considered “untouchable” … if, as Bob Barker used to say “the price is right.”
Now there almost has to be at least one more deal in the making to acquire a scoring LW as his departure – if it’s finalized as advertised – will leave them thin on that side (I think Cozens is definitely headed to RW now on that 1st line).
I also believe Staios will hold onto that # 9 pick as this draft goes “good” deep up to about picks 11-12.
Stay tuned.
@ George
I 100% believe this is just the first of a few moves. Staios had picks and cap space now. Way better off than before IMO
Judging by the social media reaction…I am not the sole person who has been disliking Brady.
The identity of this has always felt like Brady and the rest. This can be a better built team and more balanced without him.
Given the circumstances, I think Staios did really well.
Plus now they don’t have to deal with an underachieving, overpaid douche bag.
Big win for Ottawa.
Wonder what Ottawa does now?
Those picks have value, keep or move this off season for immediate help?
Still a decent team that is young ish.
Assets and some cap space.
Zacha can play wing or C, 28 yrs old??
Ray, according to most projections any one of these 4 could be available at pick 9
Wyatt Cullen (LW, U.S. NTDP)
Viggo Björck (C, Djurgårdens IF)
Alberts Šmits (LHD, EHC Red Bull München)
Ethan Belchetz (LW, Windsor Spitfires)
That’s 2 at LW where they are a bit thin now with Tkachuk’s departure, but although I believe Staios could draft one at # 9, I also think he’ll pursue another deal to obtain a term LW with a scoring touch, and there the # 25 pick or the 2029 1st could come into play.
George, 25 and 32 can get you a decent player especially a winger. Likely just older with not as much term as Staois would like.
Daxon Rudolph could be there at 9, that kid has big upside, just 2 years away from contributing. Maybe even 3.
Bjorck sounds the most NHL ready, whack of skill.
George. Should be interesting to see what Staois does. Maybe trade the 9th for help now and then use the two late first round picks to select the ruck twins? Canadian boys with chemistry who won’t jump ship.
Except, Ray, they are forbidden from dealing that # 32 pick. They have to use it.
Wouldn’t be bad picks if they were both still available at that juncture. But if they were to pick one at, say, # 25, you can bet some a-hole of a GM, realizing what the plan is, would grab the other one at 26 to 31 … and then ask Staios what he’s prepared to offer to get him.
On the surface 3 firsts and a second is a good return however a first in 29 and the second in 30 says rebuilding to me. Of course Ottawa can still make moves for this year.
Good for Florida although that price would be too much for my liking. Brady will be another player on the Panthers so maybe his habit of bad penalties will improve.
Agree with Potlicker how are they going to get a goalie now.
I’m sure the League will come up with some new Cap rule and they can sign Bobrovsky as a “goalie coach/player” so his money does not go against the Cap or the like.
I like the Ruck brothers call by Owen.
I’m not seeing it that way. I’m seeing it as Staios believing that by 29/30 the Panthers window is closed and they are sputtering. That pick will be a great investment and Florida will feel the pinch when they will need a rebuild.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, and Brady was going NOWHERE ELSE but staying in Ottawa!!!!!!!
Off to a no-tax American franchise, the anti-American Olympian mob chased Brady away!!!
Wow, Bill Zito strikes again!
Don’t be a knob Johnny
Well Ray, Truth can hurt.
But c’mon, who seen this coming!!!
This could be pure genius!!
If everyone stays healthy.
We all make guesses on the future on here, sometimes we’re right, we’re usually wrong.
Act accordingly.
Johnny Z, that is just plain horse-s&^t. No one – and certainly not me – ever said Tkachuk would NEVER be dealt. What I have been relentlessly consistent in saying is, there is NO such thing as an “untouchable” player … and I don’t care who he is. If the price is right and seen as improving your team, as a GM you pull the trigger.
Nor does it matter one iota if the deal is within the same Division. So what?
And with your last sentence are you suggesting that Staios got fleeced in the deal by Zito? If so, your opinion just dropped significant notches in my estimation.
JZ and George. Been saying since 4 nations I thought Brady would get out. Olympics made it even more. I don’t blame Canada. More Brady’s rah rah USA attitude. Try to keep politics out of it and as much as I liked Brady the player, seeing him and his dbag brother at the Whitehouse UFC spectacle, it was getting clearer. Just read something where there was a lot of pressure from locker room to move him as well. R Lavoie I think reported?
I did not say Staios was fleeced, that is in your mind George.
I can tell you are hurt, but my post was just meant to be truthful. And all the Ha-ha stuff was the big surprise I felt that this happened so soon!!
I more or less expected it at the TDL or next year.
It was not intended to mock anyone, except maybe the ones that pressure our American Olympians in Canada. I do not recall Americans giving Canadian Olympians in America this hard a time. Ask Syd or Nate or Binny! It is a double standard.
For the record, I am not “hurt” in any way, shape or form. As indicated in a post further down excerpting from Garrioch’s report of the deal, he had informed Staios that he would not be re-signing here when his contract was up, and that, with a full NMC, the ONLY place he was interested in was Florida in order to join his brother.
In those circumstances I think Staios did very well. Those are significant picks that can be used to obtain a top player.
On another topic, I see where Bobby McMann just signed a 6-year extension in Seattle:
https://www.nhl.com/news/bobby-mcmann-signs-six-year-contract-with-seattle-kraken
Larkin John.
Larkin.
Ottawa certainly has the assets to acquire him. Cozens or Pinto, a first and a second? He will rethink his 3 team destination list if the alternative is stay in Detroit and become a parish.
As Nyr fan happy no Brady here…. very good player but slower and would not help the rangers issues
Bob gonna get a surgery and be out til feb??
Florida will skirt ltir rules some more. Always figured Brady would get moved. I hate Florida even more now. Part of me wanted Brady, but a little relieved he’s not going to NY. Definitely think Florida not done. It’s Cup or nothing now. Hope it blows up in their face.
Lundell, Luostaraine, and Rodriguez for Hellybuck
Hey, that was my Larkin bundle!
That would give FLA 4M more in cap space, but they would need to sign 7 more with 12M
I don’t think they can afford Helly now
“With Brady’s $8.205 million AAV through 2027-28 added to the Panthers’ ledger, PuckPedia indicates they have just over $7 million in projected cap space for next season, with 19 active roster players signed.”
“That won’t leave enough to re-sign or replace goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov, meaning Zito likely isn’t done making moves, either through more trades or free agency.”
Billy Z, yes we are related 😉, moves a rostered player for a starting goalie….. Binnington salary retained, or signs Skinner for $4M AAV, trades for Levi or Cossa, Lyon or signs Talbot or Tarosov for BU.
TheFla. Panthers have become the Easts version of the Las Vegas Knights. Sorry GeorgeO ,all your posts saying Brady was staying in Ottawa ave gone up in space. Not a roster player in return! Doesn t look good for your Sens! Helly the next player to leave Canada. ThatUS gold medal has really stirred it up!
No one else notice it’s American players wanting to play in the US…imagine Canadian players doing the same….that cup drought sure would end.
I just hope regardless of nationality, that players don’t decide what cities will have super teams and which won’t. That will kill the spirit of the game.
Agreed Ron. Would be nice to see some Canadian players pull those moves and force their way to Canadian markets. Imagine that. Cup would be coming back to Canada every year.
Ron, as America is the place where all the tax free teams are, and as American-based teams have dominated the cup for a while now, it makes sense that American-born players would want to maybe play closer to home and be on a good team to boot. Aside from the possibly the Tkachuks, I don’t think most players are all that patriotic when it comes to team choices (unless it’s the Olympics, of course). Besides, every team is so multi-national at this point, so why make something political out of their choices. Don’t many soccer pros play for teams which are not in their country of origin? I don’t hear much about politics in that arena.
Ron and Owen, Darren Raddysh just decided to play in his hometown of Toronto, joining John Tavares. Marner would have stayed if only the fans had treated him as the god he thought he was.
Again, Sr, what I have said repeatedly is that no player is untouchable IF the return is seen as improving your team. I think this deal does just that.
Here’s a portion of Garrioch’s report on the trade in the Ottawa Sun. In the circumstances, I’d say Staios did quite well, Certianly better than what the Leafs got for Marner:
“Sources say Tkachuk had indicated to the Senators that he had no plans to re-sign after his contract expired, which is why Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, decided to deal him to the Panthers so he could play with his brother, Matthew.
Tkachuk met with Staios last month and told him he planned to play out his contract. Tkachuk had a full no-move close so he could control where he wanted to go. It’s believed the Minnesota Wild made a hard push, but, in the end, Staios wanted to get assets he could use as trade chips.
“I think it’s smart. His stock is high,” a league insider told the Ottawa Citizen on Sunday night. “By doing this now, you avoid a soap opera all next year. You avoid the whole, ‘Are you going to be here?’ question. That was just going to be a distraction, and their hands would be tied.
“They got a really good return. They could turn those two first-round picks into really good players. They’ve got two in this draft, and they can go out to get two players into the system, plus they have No. 32.”
My guess is that the Sens will make a big play to sign Tuch on day one of free agency.
Florida will be a tuff out for sure lots of character and ability , if I’m them I sign a goalie for little money and see what deadline brings.
I think the Sens should flip those picks to Dallas and trade for Robertson.
Get more offense out of him than Tkachuk and spend less time killing stupid penalties.
I know Brady wore the C but I never felt he was captain material, not level headed enough and no control of emotions.
I think Dallas keeps Robertson, but who knows. Bourque can likely be had if they do keep Robertson.
A lot of draft capital to spend on a RD and a winger and a BU goalie………..
Carolina and Stall should thank Brady personally for getting their heads into the playoffss.
This ^
Florida will be lucky to get 82 games combined out of these two brothers next year or any year.