Matthew Tkachuk Throws Shade at Senators Following Brady Tkachuk’s Shock Trade to Panthers

Brady Tkachuk joined the Florida Panthers through a trade from Ottawa Senators after spending 8 seasons in Canada.

Matthew Tkachuk Throws Shade at Senators Following Brady Tkachuk’s Shock Trade to Panthers

Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk (Image via ESPN/X/@Wingmenpod)

On Sunday, the Ottawa Senators sent a shockwave across the NHL world by trading their captain, Brady Tkachuk, to the Florida Panthers. In a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, his brother, Matthew Tkachuk, threw shade at the Canadian side.

Brady Tkachuk had been the captain of the Senators since November 2021 after signing a 7-year, $57.5 million deal. The forward had 2 years remaining on his deal with the team.

Despite this, the team traded him. It was later revealed that the 26-year-old requested a trade from the team after they got swept 4-0 in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes.

The younger Tkachuk had the Panthers, the Minnesota Wild, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Hurricanes as his potential trade destinations. In the end, he picked Florida and joined his brother at the Panthers in a trade deal.

Since this move, there have been several comments and discussions. Many have gotten into hotly contested debates regarding this, while some have slammed him.

On Tuesday, the brothers were part of the Pat McAfee Show. During this, Matthew Tkachuk took a dig at the Senators and expressed that Brady had to deal with a lot of stuff in Ottawa.

[Brady] had to wear a lot of hats playing up in Ottawa, being a young captain, playing in Canada, dealing with a lot of stuff whether it’s in his control or not.

Matthew Tkachuk said regarding Brady Tkachuk at Pat McAfee Show

He also added that joining the Panthers would elevate the game of his younger brother.

The best part about playing down here, and this might sound a little bit bad, but we’re really just like pieces of meat down here. You have your role, you wear one hat, you don’t have to do somebody else’s job, it’s a total group effort.

Matthew Tkachuk added

Brady Tkachuk was the face of the Senators organization. After joining the team through the draft in 2018, he went on to make 572 regular-season appearances for them. In this, he scored 463 points (213 goals, 250 assists).

The playoffs were the biggest struggle for the Senators. During his 8-year tenure, the team made the postseason just two times and lost in the first round on both occasions. Tkachuk failed to record a single point during their 4-game sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes this season.

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Brady Tkachuk claims it was not an easy decision to leave the Senators

The Brady Tkachuk era at the Ottawa Senators came to an end this past Sunday after he was traded to the Florida Panthers. The American international later claimed it was not an easy decision to leave the Senators.

Brady Tkachuk
Brady Tkachuk (Image via X/@BR_OpenIce)

According to reports, he requested a trade 1.5 weeks after the Sens lost in the first round of the playoffs. While speaking with the reporters, he expressed that it was time for a new chapter in his career.

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.

Brady Tkachuk said

While he is thrilled to reunite with his brother, his decision was not because of him. On their Wingmen podcast, the younger Tkachuk said he made the decision to join the Panthers while taking him (Matthew) out of the equation.

I made this decision taking you out of it. It wasn’t about you.

Brady Tkachuk told Matthew Tkachuk

The Panthers have been one of the top teams in the NHL in recent years. They entered the 2025-26 season as the two-time defending champions, having beaten the Edmonton Oilers in back-to-back finals.

Before that, they reached the final in 2023 as well. That year, they lost 4-2 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The “Cats” however, were unable to three-peat the title. In fact, they did not even get a shot for this as they missed the playoffs entirely by finishing 7th in the Atlantic Division with a 40-38-4 record.

As for the Tkachuk brothers, they have previously been teammates for their country at the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Olympic Games. After losing the 4 Nations in 2025, the two of them won gold for their country at the Milano Cortina this year.

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