As reported by multiple sources, the Ottawa Senators have traded Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for two 2026 first-round picks (#9 and #25), a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2029 conditional first-round pick.

Wow. The initial reaction is that the Tkachuk brothers are being reunited. The Florida Panthers are going to be a major problem for opponents next season. Here's one possible top-9 for the Panthers:

And here's another one:

The same guys, just shuffled around a bit. With even-strength lines as stacked as those, what exactly would a top power play look like for the Panthers? Let's go with Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and somebody on the point. Or maybe a fifth forward. Assuming it's a defenseman (most likely Seth Jones), a second power play would feature Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Brad Marchand, and Anton Lundell. That might be better than a few teams' first power play.

Talent makes talent better, so upgrades should go to both Tkachuks as well as Barkov and Reinhart. You could argue that Verhaeghe, Marchand, and Bennett receive downgrades because of lack of power play time, but… have you seen the potential lines? These guys probably aren't going to be playing alongside slugs at either even strength or on the power play, unless Paul Maurice spreads everyone out over four lines. Unless there's an injury, Maurice also won't need to lean heavily on anyone, which makes it less likely that each forward will average over 20 minutes per game. That will also keep bangers like the Tkachuks and Bennett fresher.

Brady Tkachuk is a known commodity at this point. He'll average close to point-per-game numbers, around four shots per game, and around three hits per game. Expect him to continue to play his style of game in Florida, perhaps even more inspired hockey with his brother. His upside improves, and surpassing his career high of 83 points as a Panther now seems like a strong bet. One minor concern: Tkachuk has missed at least 10 games in each of his last two seasons, so we need to bring up wear and tear.

One other hiccup for the Panthers: Who will play in net next season? They currently have $7 million in cap space and no big-league goalies signed. Keep in mind that we are still early in the offseason and everything is fluid. Which could even mean the above top 9 isn't completely carved in stone, either.

As for the Senators, they lose their captain and a key top-6 forward with the return only in the form of futures. Drake Batherson can play left wing, but the lineup thins out after that. Perhaps the Senators target another top-6 winger in a trade, but that remains to be seen. Until that happens, top-6 forwards like Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens, and Batherson lose a bit of value with one fewer scoring threat as a potential even-strength or power-play linemate. Overall, it’s a tough day if you’re a Senators fan.

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Players this helps, in order:

Matthew Tkachuk

Brady Tkachuk

Barkov

Reinhart

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Players this hurts, in order:

Stutzle

Cozens

Batherson

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Discuss the trade in this thread on the Forum.