After a sweep by the Carolina Hurricanes that ended Ottawa’s campaign, attention moved to captain Brady Tkachuk. Insider David Pagnotta told “Hello Hockey” the winger could become a trade candidate this summer. With years left on a $8.2 million per‑year contract, Tkachuk may want a change. He has 213 goals, 250 assists in 572 games and posted 22 goals, 27 assists in 60 games this year.

Among the five most plausible suitors, the Florida Panthers surface first. Holding the No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 draft and about $15 million in cap space, they could anchor a deal around that selection, though goaltending and sharing a division with Ottawa pose hurdles. The Chicago Blackhawks project $40.2 million in flexibility and a No. 1 prospect pool, giving them the ammunition to meet Ottawa’s asking price.

Other clubs—Utah’s Mammoth, Philadelphia’s Flyers and St. Louis’s Blues—also possess draft capital and cap room, but each faces specific constraints, from limited space to positional needs. Should Ottawa decide to move its captain, the market appears deep, promising a blockbuster exchange. Whatever the destination, a Tkachuk trade would reshape the Senators’ rebuild trajectory.