We can finally put the Brady Tkachuk New York Rangers trade rumors and speculation to bed, something that had essentially been done already, but it is now official given the news of his blockbuster trade to the Florida Panthers. The Ottawa Senators have shipped off their now former captain in exchange for a haul of first round picks, and the latest news reveals that the Rangers never were a serious option.
We have acquired forward Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for three first-round draft selections and one second-round selection.
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 21, 2026
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Brady Tkachuk didn't want to be a Ranger
Despite the fact that Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan is in New York, along with J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck (for the time being), there were only four teams that Brady was willing to join. Florida was one, the Vegas Golden Knights were another, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes were in the mix, and the Minnesota Wild were also in the picture.
Tkachuk is coming off a season in which he finished with 22 goals and 59 points in 60 games, and during his career to date he's scored 213 goals, assisted on 250 others, and has 463 points in 572 games. The most successful season of his career to date saw him tally 83 points in 82 games as a 23 year old (2022-23), and in the years that have followed he's finished with 74 in 81, 55 in 72, and then 59 in 60 this past season.
In December of 2024 the late great Larry Brooks first wrote about the Rangers interest in Tkachuk, as he was a young player who embodied what the team was trying to build toward. He was an up and coming sparkplug of a player who the organization felt would check a lot of boxes. The mere suggestion of Tkachuk potentially being Broadway bound caused quite a stir, and the Senators owner alleged soft tampering was in the works.
Brooks tragically passed away earlier this season, and I can only imagine the column he would have wrote about today's news of Brady joining his brother Matthew in Sunrise. Now that's what you call tampering!
Rangers can now set their aim on other targets
The news of Tkachuk heading to Florida closes one door, but it could potentially open up a few others. For starters, it remains to be seen what direction Ottawa is going to go in. They have added two first-round picks for this Friday's draft, and there is always the chance they just make those selections to kickstart a retool or rebuild.
If that's the case, it might be worth inquiring about players such as Drake Batherson (UFA next July), Shane Pinto ($7.5 million for four more years), and quite possibly Jake Sanderson ($8.05 million for five more years).
Sanderson is the least likely name to be available, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Batherson would be of interest if he's willing to sign an extension to fill a much needed spot in the top nine, and Pinto could be a potential long-term piece to fill a spot that should open up once Trocheck is traded.
There is no guarantee that is what the Senators will want to do, but after they just traded their captain, it is possible they may want to move some other pieces out and build around Tim Stützle and whomever they can get in this year's draft.
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