FORT LAUDERDALE — Brady Tkachuk said he wished the season started tomorrow after the Florida Panthers formally introduced the 26-year-old power forward at War Memorial Auditorium, completing a blockbuster trade that reunites him with brother Matthew on one of the NHL’s most loaded rosters.

The Panthers acquired the former Ottawa Senators captain on Sunday in exchange for Florida’s 2026 first-round selection, Tampa Bay’s 2026 first-round selection previously acquired from Seattle, Florida’s 2027 second-round selection, and Florida’s 2029 first-round selection, which is top-10 protected. The deal gives Florida arguably the most formidable forward group in the league — and positions the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions for a run at a third title.

“When a player of Brady’s stature, ability and, most importantly, character becomes available, you do what you can to try and acquire players like that and fit them into the group,” Panthers General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Bill Zito said at the introductory press conference. “In this instance, when we talked on the phone, I said it’s like a jigsaw puzzle. You’re the piece that fits into the puzzle, but at the same time it’s the perfect puzzle to fit around that piece.”

Standing 6-foot-4 and 226 pounds, Tkachuk produced 59 points — 22 goals and 37 assists — in just 60 games last season and helped the United States secure its first Olympic gold medal in hockey since 1980. Since making his NHL debut in 2018 as the fourth-overall pick, he led the Senators in goals with 213, assists with 463, and points with 463 across eight seasons in Ottawa.

The trade had been building for some time. After the Senators were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by Carolina, Tkachuk met with Ottawa general manager Steve Staios and made clear he would not sign a new contract when his deal expires in 2028. Staios initially worked from a list of four teams Tkachuk would accept, but it quickly became apparent the forward would only go to the Panthers, Florida Hockey Now reported.

Tkachuk acknowledged the difficulty of leaving Ottawa but said the time had come. “Definitely a lot of things happened throughout my time there,” he said. “For me, it was just time for the next chapter. It wasn’t an easy decision … it was a very hard decision and a lot went into it. I am very thankful for what they’ve done for me, not just as a player; they molded me into the human I am today. That’s something I carry into the future.”

“They’ll always have a piece of my heart,” Tkachuk added of his time in Canada’s capital.

The family dimension of the deal is hard to overstate. On Sunday, the Tkachuk clan celebrated both Father’s Day and the baptism of Matthew Tkachuk’s daughter in St. Louis before the trade news broke. On Monday, patriarch Keith Tkachuk was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Brady, his wife, and their two young children flew to Fort Lauderdale on Monday night.

“That was where it was like ‘boy, wow, this is real.’ This is what is going to be, every day life,” Tkachuk said. “Something that was really important was to have our kids grow up together and be close. It’s going to be special for everyone.”

The brothers had already teamed up at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, then as Team USA teammates at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and again at the Milan Olympics. Brady traveled with his family during Florida’s past three playoff runs, two of which ended with Matthew hoisting the Stanley Cup.

“It’s probably the closest group in the league,” Tkachuk said of the Panthers. “Everything is done by committee, everyone is part of the puzzle. Their sole focus is winning, and that’s something I’m excited to join, to help out.”

Zito, who moved forward Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle on Sunday afternoon to acquire the 25th pick in the draft — one of the three first-rounders sent to Ottawa — kept his message simple. “We want to win,” Zito said. “That’s our job, that’s our mission.”

The NHL Draft begins Friday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, where the Panthers hold no first-round selections but six picks overall. Free agency opens July 1, with Panthers Development Camp expected in late June or early July at the IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale and the 2026-27 season opening in late September.