OTTAWA - Steve Staios no intention of letting his team take a step back after two straight playoff appearances.
That may be easier said than done for the Ottawa Senators general manager after trading captain Brady Tkachuk on Sunday night.
Tkachuk was dealt to the Florida Panthers, where he will join older brother Matthew, in exchange for the ninth and 25th overall picks in the 2026 NHL draft, a second-round pick in 2027 and a conditional first-round selection in 2029.
Tkachuk requested the trade, and a full no-movement clause in his contract left Staios trying to come up with the best deal possible for his team.
鈥淭he dynamic of a no-trade clause changes how the transaction works and how it鈥檚 going to look,鈥 said Staios. 鈥淐learly, it was pointed at one team at the end.鈥
That team was Florida, where Tkachuk will join older brother Matthew. Speaking Monday after being announced as a 2026 inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame, father Keith Tkachuk said the brothers had long hoped to play together.
"They've dreamt of playing together," Keith Tkachuk said. "They had an opportunity in the Olympics and (at) the 4 Nations. They're best friends, they wanted to do this together, and fortunately, it worked out. Both parties found a way to get it done."
Staios said the return would have likely been different if he had the option of negotiating with 31 other teams, but considering what he had to work with feels the Senators fared well. The biggest question is how Staios will convert those assets to strengthen the Senators' roster.
The timing of the trade could prove beneficial with the NHL Entry Draft taking place this weekend.
鈥淚 think this will be an interesting week, as far as what the value is for that pick, what we could do with it, or other picks, or other players,鈥 Staios said. 鈥淲e're engaged in that process now that we have the assets.鈥
Tkachuk led the Senators with 213 goals and 463 points over his eight years in Ottawa. But it became clear to Staios that something had changed this season and he could 鈥渃learly see that Brady was a bit of a different player from the year before.鈥
Shortly after helping the United States win Olympic gold, Tkachuk became a polarizing figure off the ice.
The Senators captain faced criticism for laughing at comments Trump made about having to invite the women's team to avoid impeachment. He also drew scrutiny for remarks made on "The Wingmen" podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother.
As a result, much of the attention surrounding Tkachuk shifted away from his play on the ice and toward his actions and comments away from the game.
Rumours began circulating about Tkachuk鈥檚 future in the nation鈥檚 capital. At his season-ending media availability, Tkachuk spoke about the impact of such reports.
"I feel like I've answered this hundreds of times," said Tkachuk. "I have been fully committed to this team, to the city, and it's just becoming a distraction and frustrating to deal with."
It appears the trade request came shortly after. Staios had been unable to hold an exit meeting at the conclusion of their first-round playoff loss due to the birth of Tkachuk鈥檚 daughter. The two met about a week and a half later and it was clear to Staios at that point.
Tkachuk had two years remaining on a seven-year, $57.5 million contract signed in 2021.聽
This marks the third Senators captain, joining Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson, who asked to be traded, but Staios believes players want to play in Ottawa.
鈥淚'm not concerned if you're alluding to the fact that you think people don't want to play in Ottawa,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 don't think that's the case. I believe in this group that we have here; they're committed. This was a unique situation, I think. Clearly, as you see where he was transacted to, there's a connection there. And we did what we needed to do from our perspective.鈥
Staios understands why some fans might be frustrated and disappointed in the return but pointed out that just because picks are what they currently hold doesn鈥檛 mean that鈥檚 what they鈥檒l end up with.
鈥淲e started the year with zero first-round picks, and we have three,鈥 Staios said. 鈥淚鈥檇 love to hang out with you guys longer, but we鈥檝e got to get to work. This changes the dynamics, obviously, you know of what we were looking at doing in the off-season, and we鈥檙e looking forward to doing the work, putting in the work to be able to continue to build on the team.鈥
-- With files from hockey reporter Joshua Clipperton.
This report by 好色tvwas first published June 22, 2026.
