As trade rumors swirl, former Panthers coach Doug MacLean suggests a blockbuster family reunion could be brewing if Florida leverages its rare top-ten draft pick to land the Senators captain.
A former head coach of the Florida Panthers is weighing in on the Brady Tkachuk rumors.
Doug MacLean was the second coach in Panthers history.
He led the team to their first two appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 1996 and 1997, including a surprising trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996.
On Friday, MacLean made an appearance on the Real Kyper and Bourne Show, which airs daily on Sportsnet 590.
After being asked about several topics, MacLean was wrapping up his guest hit when he quickly pivoted to include one additional conversation point regarding Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
“One final thing,” MacLean began. “Think about this. Everybody's trying to get in the top ten (at the NHL Draft). Florida has the ninth pick in the Draft. Where is Brady Tkachuk going to want to go? Think about this. The ninth pick of the draft, the top ten guys are great players. Florida will never have another top 10 pick for two or three years. This is the time when you've got to move on Florida. You pick up a couple of quality players, you pick up the ninth pick, and you know Brady wants to go to Florida. You know he's gonna probably go there within two years. Two years is the magic number. The two playoff series. I wouldn't be surprised that Brady Tkachuk is in Florida at the Draft."
Earlier during the offseason, it was reported that the Senators could explore trading Tkachuk sometime this summer.
The 26-year-old forward has two years remaining on his current contract that comes with an average annual value (AAV) of just over $8.2 million.
With the NHL Draft Lottery now behind us, we know that the Panthers hold the ninth overall selection at next month’s Draft.
It’s the first time Florida has held a first-round pick since 2021, when they selected Mackie Samoskevich 24th overall, and the last one they own until 2029.
If the Senators are open to trading Tkachuk, who would be in complete control of any deal as his contract includes a full no-movement clause, it makes sense that he would list Florida as a preferred destination.
Brady’s older brother, Matthew Tkachuk, is locked into a long-term deal with the Panthers, and the team is poised to contend for the Stanley Cup for the foreseeable future.
THN Florida explored the possibility of a trade earlier in the offseason.
We’ll see how things shake out in the coming days and weeks as we get closer to the NHL Draft.
The 2026 NHL Draft will take place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26 and 27.
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Apr 18, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) comes off the ice after the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)