After making three consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Final and winning back-to-back championships, the Florida Panthers failed to qualify for the postseason in 2025-26, finishing 14th in the 16-team Eastern Conference with 84 points. They took a big step toward returning to glory Sunday by uniting a pair of high-impact siblings.
The Panthers acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators for four draft picks, including three first-rounders -- two of which are in the 2026 NHL Draft, which takes place this coming weekend at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. The other first-rounder is in 2029, and Ottawa also obtained a 2027 second-round selection.
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A four-time All-Star, Tkachuk was drafted fourth overall by the Senators in 2018 and had been team captain since 2021. The 26-year-old left wing scored at least 21 goals in each of his seven full NHL seasons, recording a career-high 37 in 2023-24, and finished with 22 over 60 games this past campaign.
He now joins brother Matthew Tkachuk in the NHL for the first time. The sons of legendary power forward Keith Tkachuk, who is a member of the league's 500-goal club, have been teammates before, however. Both represented the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and at the Winter Olympics earlier this year, when they helped Team USA win the gold medal for the first time since 1980.
The 28-year-old Matthew Tkachuk has netted at least 22 goals seven times and reached the 40-goal plateau twice, setting a career high of 42 with the Calgary Flames in 2021-22 and scoring 40 the following season -- his first with the Panthers. A two-time All-Star, the left wing eclipsed the 100-point mark in both of those campaigns.
Despite their disappointing 2025-26 NHL season, the Panthers still were among the top five favorites to win the Stanley Cup in 2027 at the major sportsbooks. And by uniting the Tkachuk brothers, their odds improved, as they are listed as the second favorite (behind the Colorado Avalanche, who are priced at +600) at Caesars Sportsbook and third favorite at DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM. Only Colorado (+800, +700, +750, respectively) and the reigning champion Carolina Hurricanes (+750, +650, +750) are listed higher at those books.
Panthers' odds to win 2027 Stanley Cup
DRAFTKINGS | FANDUEL | CAESARS | BETMGM | |
Before trade | +1100 | +1300 | +1200 | +1100 |
After trade | +850 | +800 | +800 | +800 |
Assuming they remain healthy, the Tkachuk brothers will be a bruising offensive force for the Panthers in 2026-27. Coach Paul Maurice can allow them to wreak havoc on the same line or separate them and give Florida a physical threat who can score on two different units.
Adding Brady Tkachuk to a roster that includes his brother, the ageless Brad Marchand, perennial 20-goal scorer Sam Reinhart, 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe instantly puts the Panthers back in the discussion for another Stanley Cup championship. Throw in the return of captain Aleksander Barkov, who missed the entire 2025-26 season with a knee injury but helped lead Finland to the gold medal at the 2026 IIHF World Championship last month, and the team certainly is a top contender.
However, Florida general manager Bill Zito needs to address its goaltending, as two-time Vezina Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion Sergei Bobrovsky and backup Daniil Tarasov both will become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Bobrovsky will turn 38 years old in September and likely will not be back for an eighth season with the Panthers. Tarasov likely isn't the answer to replace him, so Zito will need to obtain a bona fide No. 1 netminder in order for the team to have a solid chance at another championship.
