Sources: B. Tkachuk to Panthers, will join brother...

The Florida Panthers are trading for Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, where he will play with his brother, Matthew, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

The return includes both of Florida's first round picks in Friday's draft -- the No. 9 choice which Florida held, and the No. 25 selection which the Panthers acquired in a trade with the Seattle Kraken for Mackie Samoskevich earlier in the day -- as well as a 2029 first round pick and a future second round pick.

It was a shocking move on Sunday as many around the league were unsure if Tkachuk, who is under contract until 2028, would be available for a trade this summer. Tkachuk and the Senators have insisted that he is committed to the team -- with emphatic statements as recently as April, when Ottawa's season ended.

However, sources say the Senators had talks with a handful of teams about Brady Tkachuk over the last few weeks, and the captain had say over the situation with a no trade clause. During the season, it became clear to Senators management that Tkachuk was looking for a change of scenery. After his return from the Olympics, and as Tkachuk and the gold-winning Americans went on a victory tour, it became a tricky situation for the Senators organization to handle, especially given Ottawa is Canada's capital city.

Ottawa made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but lost in the first round each time. Brady Tkachuk is in the middle of a seven-year deal which carries a $8.2 million cap hit.

Florida general manager Bill Zito continues to operate with conviction, believing that the team's window is now. It was also a bold move when Zito had traded for Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames in July 2022 for a massive haul.

Zito was on the management staff for Team USA at the 2026 Milan Olympics where both Tkachuk brothers helped the United States win gold. The Tkachuk brothers are extremely close, and launched a podcast together last season.

The Panthers missed the playoffs this season after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups. They are expected to rebound, especially with their captain Aleksander Barkov healthy after missing the entire 2025-26 season with knee surgery.