No one should have believed Brady Tkachuk

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
No one should have believed Brady Tkachuk
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Brady Tkachuk is heading to Sunrise. Who's surprised?

The Panthers managed to land their man and reunite the Tkachuk brothers—two guys who really know how to bring the kind of intensity needed in the playoffs. Things are going to get intense in the 2027 playoffs.

Naturally, a trade like this changes a lot in the NHL and gives us plenty to talk about.

1. When Brady Tkachuk told us at the end of the season not to worry about the rumors, I hope no one believed him. He knew what he was talking about.

You have to take official statements with a grain of salt. P.K. Subban wasn't trade bait, according to Marc Bergevin… plenty of coaches have been given the kiss of death right before they left… there are plenty of examples like that.

2. Brady Tkachuk, who holds the U.S. flag close to his heart, was the captain of a struggling team based in Canada's capital. After the 2025 Four Nations Showdown and the 2026 Olympics, things just weren't working out anymore.

He clearly would have liked to see his fans cheer him on the way they did for his teammates playing in the U.S.—including his brother in Florida—but instead he was criticized for his visit to Washington. That changed a lot of things, I'm sure.

3. Officially, he can say he didn't ask to be traded. Steve Staios asked him if he wanted to stay in 2028, and Tkachuk said no… before forcing him to send him to the division where his brother plays.

But no, the words “I'm asking to be traded” were never uttered, unlike with Dylan Larkin, for example. Larkin's path could potentially lead to the Wild (who are looking for a center), by the way.

4. Remember that Tkachuk has a podcast with his brother… and that the two of them were together when the trade was announced. And at some point, it felt like the Senators didn't always come across well in the episodes.

The split was inevitable. Everyone (including the locker room) was affected, and the Sens didn't even have enough bargaining power to land Carter Verhaghe. It's a bitter ending for many fans.

5. I don't know if Sergei Bobrovsky, Connor Hellebuyck, or another goaltender (Samuel Ersson is a name that keeps coming up) will be the Panthers' No. 1 goalie in 2026–2027. We'll see.

But in any case, the breathing room the Florida club gave Eastern Conference teams in 2025–2026 is over.

6. A team like the Senators will have to rebuild, relying on the draft picks they've acquired, among other things. But it seems we've entered the era of “superteams” in the NHL.

Less desirable markets will have to adapt.

7. Brady Tkachuk wasn't a good captain for a team like Ottawa. He was given the “C” as a reward after signing his current contract.

Who will be the next captain? Thomas Chabot is a name that keeps coming up.


In a nutshell

– The Panthers were preparing to draft ninth overall. That didn't happen.

– Rasmus Dahlin honored in Sweden.

– Ark.

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