Ottawa Senators president and general manager Steve Staios confirmed in a press conference Monday that Sunday’s blockbuster trade which sent Senators star Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers came about at Tkachuk’s request.

Staios did not share the reason why Tkachuk asked for the trade, which will reunite him with his brother Matthew Tkachuk after the pair led the U.S. to the gold medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics and a runner-up finish in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off event.

However, he did say he wasn’t entirely surprised by the request after seeing some changes in the former Ottawa captain this past season.

Tkachuk, 26, was selected in the first round (fourth overall) by the Senators in the 2018 NHL Draft. Debuting immediately after he was drafted, the forward scored 463 points (213 goals, 250 assists) in 572 games across eight seasons for Ottawa.

The Senators made their first two playoff appearances in Tkachuk’s tenure the last two seasons, but haven’t advanced out of the first round since 2017.

With four draft picks received as compensation in the trade, including the No. 9 and No. 25 overall picks to give Ottawa three total first-round picks in this week’s draft, Staios made it clear he doesn’t expect the trade to shift his team’s expectations.

“I have no intention of this group taking a step back,” he said.

–Field Level Media