Ottawa Senators president and general manager Steve Staios confirmed Monday that the team’s captain Brady Tkachuk asked to be traded, but did not reveal why.
The Senators and the Florida Panthers finalized the deal Sunday. Ottawa will get four draft picks in exchange for Tkachuk, who will join his brother Matthew in Sunrise, Fla.
Staios said Monday that Tkachuk requested a trade, and said the team did what it needed to do to move forward.
“I have no intention of this group taking a step back,” he said.
Staios declined to say why Tkachuk made the request, though he said he wasn’t overly surprised after noticing unspecified changes in the captain over the last season.
The Tkachuk brothers won gold for the U.S. at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, and also played together at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
The trade ends the younger Tkachuk’s eight-season run with Ottawa. The winger scored 213 goals in 572 games, accumulated 821 penalty minutes and led the team to first-round playoff exits in 2025 and 2026.
Staios thanked Tkachuk for his impact on the team and the community.
Senators deal captain Brady Tkachuk to Panthers for package of draft picks
Ottawa will get the ninth pick in this week’s entry draft, Tampa Bay’s 25th-overall pick this year, the Panthers’ second-round pick in 2027 and their top 10-protected first-round pick in 2029.
Ottawa also has the 32nd overall draft pick.
Staios said there is “robust” trade interest in those draft picks.
“We are active and we are open,” he said.
Stars such as Tim Stützle and Jake Sanderson remain part of Ottawa’s core as the Senators work to break out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The trade also frees up several million dollars of salary cap space.
Ottawa Senators fans react to Brady Tkachuk trade news
