Time to party, Panthers Style (or Tkachuk Style).

Elbo Room and E11EVEN should start making plans for next June, because, after the Florida Panthers landed Brady Tkachuk in a blockbuster deal with the Ottawa Senators on Sunday evening, the Cats should be the odds-on favorites to win The Stanley Cup next season. (Okay, some sites have them second, behind the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche, who are tied for the best odds).

We get it. Florida still has to work out its goaltending situation, especially after reports surfaced that Sergei Bobrovsky is not expected to return as he is scheduled to hit the open market on July 1st. Things can obviously change on that front, but you can guarantee that Panthers’ GM Bill Zito is working the phones to fill the team’s netminder vacancy. 

The Panthers gave up three total first-rounders (9th and 25th in 2026 and a Top-10 protected first in 2029), plus a 2027 second rounder, to bring Matthew’s younger brother Brady to Sunrise. The younger Tkachuk brother will gladly make the 1,300- to 1,600-mile move south (the distance varies based on the route) as it not only allows him to play with his older brother, but it also gives him his best chance to win a Stanley Cup, which he wasn’t going to do in Ottawa. 

And while there is plenty of outrage in Ottawa over the loss of their Captain, this move was going to come sooner or later. However, unlike Matthew or Quinn Hughes, Brady never made any public comments about wanting to one day play with his brother in The NHL. He never publicly said he wanted out of Ottawa. 

In fact, he routinely and publicly voiced his support for Ottawa and repeatedly attempted to quash the persistent rumors that he wanted out. However, the constant rumors that were spread over the years by fans, media, teammates and team executives turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy as they essentially shoved Brady Tkachuk out the door. 

Roughly three weeks ago, in a conversation with team GM Steve Staios, Tkachuk privately expressed that he did not plan to re-sign once his contract was up in two more years, which led to the two discussing his desire to be traded and Brady submitting a list of four teams (Carolina, Florida, Vegas and Minnesota) he would be willing to waive his no-move clause to play for. 

Would this have happened right now had the constant rumors not been a thing? No. In all likelihood, this conversation would not have happened before next year, when he would be one year away from free agency. As it was, the persistent rumors turned into a distraction in the dressing room that made the situation untenable. 

So, now, Brady is a Panther and will almost certainly be treated harshly by Senators fans whenever Florida plays a game in Ottawa.

But that wasn’t the only Tkachuk-related news in the last two days. On Monday afternoon, Matthew and Brady’s dad, former NHLer Keith Tkachuk, got the long-awaited call that he is going into The Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. 

Keith was a power forward during his playing days and a mainstay on Team USA at international competitions. He finished his career with 1,065 points (538 goals, 527 assists) in 1,201 games. His last season was 2009-10, so he’s been waiting a while for this call and it was made all the sweeter for his family as it came less than 24-hours after the news that Brady was joining Matthew in Florida. 

Keith Tkachuk wasn’t the only person to get the Hall Call. Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne and Cindy Curley (Women’s Player) were all selected as former players and Brian Burke was selected in the Builder category. 

Some may question Pekka Rinne’s inclusion, but the Hall voters have recently made it an unspoken point to put more goalies in after the position was largely left out in the cold, for decades, when it came time for the final votes to be tallied. 

For once, there are no egregious snubs or omissions, although the likes of Patrik Elias and Mike Richter (among others) remain on the outside looking in. Maybe, one day, they too will get the long-awaited call, but, for now, the Class of 2026 deserves to be celebrated. 

Let’s just hope they don’t celebrate too hard.