The former Ottawa captain reportedly blocked a homecoming to his childhood roots, prioritizing a blockbuster move to join his brother Matthew and the Stanley Cup contending Florida Panthers instead.
The Florida Panthers were involved in one of the summer’s biggest moves.
Back in late June, the Panthers made a couple moves in a 24-hour span that reminded everyone in the NHL why Florida was the league’s biggest nuisance.
After acquiring a second first-round selection in this summer’s NHL Draft, Panthers General Manager Bill Zito sent three top picks, along with a future second-rounder, to Ottawa in exchange for their captain, Brady Tkachuk.
It was a move that was met with little surprise, as Tkachuk was long rumored to be interested in eventually teaming up with his older brother Matthew in South Florida.
Earlier this week, there was a report that the younger Tkachuk had previously turned down a blockbuster trade that would’ve landed him in a different location.
According to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Tkachuk rejected a trade that would have sent him to the St. Louis Blues.
According to Rutherford, Tkachuk, “didn’t want to come to St. Louis.”
This lines up with the idea that Tkachuk’s preferred destination was the Panthers, where his brother is locked into a contract through the end of the 2029-30 season.
For those wondering where the St. Louis connection comes from, both Tkachuk brothers were raised in Creve Coeur, a suburb of St. Louis, and the area is where Matthew has a home and spends time during the offseason.
It’s where their father, Keith Tkachuk, spent part of his career as well, and there was reported interest from the Blues in acquiring Brady prior to the trade to Florida.
Were you surprised by the news that Brady Tkachuk turned down a trade to St. Louis, or did it seem like a foregone conclusion that he would end up with the Panthers?
Let us know in the comments below.
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Photo caption: Oct 2, 2025;St.Louis, Missouri, USA; Ottawa Senators left wingBradyTkachuk(7) looks on during the third period againsttheSt.LouisBlues at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
