Wings' Larkin unlikely to be dealt to Florida after Tkachuk trade
Wings' Larkin unlikely to be dealt to Florida after Tkachuk trade
Detroit News staff and wires Mon, June 22, 2026 at 3:00 AM UTC
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You can likely cross off Florida on Dylan Larkin's list of trade destinations.
The Florida Panthers made a blockbuster trade for Brady Tkachuk on Sunday night, where he will join his brother Matthew in one of the NHL's biggest offseason moves.
The Ottawa Senators traded their captain to the Panthers for Florida's two first-round picks in this year's draft — No. 9 and No. 25 overall — along with a first-round pick in 2029 that is top-10 protected and a second-round pick in 2027.
Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates after his goal against Detroit Red Wings' John Gibson (not shown) during third-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Florida had acquired the 25th pick earlier Sunday in a trade sending forward and ex-Wolverine Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken.
Larkin's original trade request reportedly included Florida, Vegas and Minnesota.
The Panthers now have just $7 million left under the salary cap as they added another top-tier power forward by reuniting the Tkachuk brothers in the NHL.
Brady, 26, and Matthew, 28, and Larkin, 29, helped Team USA secure Olympic gold earlier this year.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin of Team United States celebrate after defeating Sweden, 2-1, in overtime during the men's quarterfinals playoff game on Day 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy.
"Brady is a dynamic competitor and one of the most physical and relentless forwards in the league," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said.
"A proven leader and exactly the type of player we want in our locker room, he strives to make everyone around him better both on and off the ice. We're thrilled to welcome Brady to South Florida to join our group as we continue our pursuit of championship hockey."
The move is a major shift for Ottawa, which selected Tkachuk fourth overall in 2018 and made him the face of its rebuild. He spent eight seasons with the Senators and served as captain for the past five.
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Tkachuk had pushed back on questions about his future as recently as April, when trade speculation followed Ottawa's first-round playoff exit.
"I feel like I've answered this hundreds of times," Tkachuk said at the time. "None of that, I feel like I've never shown, I've never said, none of those things ever came out of my mouth. And quite honestly, it's just getting frustrating.
"It's becoming a distraction, because I have been fully committed to this team, to the city and it's just becoming a distraction and frustrating to deal with."
Tkachuk had 22 goals and 37 assists in 60 games last season. Ottawa reached the playoffs for a second straight year, but was swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Tkachuk was held without a point in the series.
For his career, the four-time All-Star has notched 213 goals and 250 assists across 572 regular-season games. He's added four goals and three assists in 10 career postseason games.
He has two years remaining on his contract at an $8.2-million cap hit, giving Florida more than a short-term rental.
The Panthers already have a core led by Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling and Anton Lundell.
For Ottawa, the return adds three first-round picks and another future second to a franchise that now has to replace its captain while continuing to build around its young core.
"This was not a decision we took lightly, but ultimately we did what we felt was best for the long-term future of our hockey club," Senators general manager Steve Staios said in a statement.
"We now possess cap space and draft capital and will be actively working to improve our roster."
Detroit center Dylan Larkin warms up before the start of a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Florida Panthers at Little Caesars Arena, in Detroit, October 15, 2025.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Dylan Larkin unlikely headed to Florida after Brady Tkachuk trade
Source: “AOL Sports”
