The trade of Brady Tkachuk by the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers is a huge transaction that is going to have an impact on the team for at least the next two seasons, and probably quite a bit longer than that. The Senators swallowed hard when they made the trade that gives Tkachuk the opportunity to play with his brother Matthew on a franchise that won the Stanley Cup in 2024 and ’25. While injuries kept the Panthers from playing postseason hockey last year, they will be among the favorites when the 2026-27 gets underway.
The Sens picked up the No. 9 and 25 picks in the upcoming NHL Draft along with a No. 1 pick in the 2029 draft and a second-round pick in 2027. Team president and general manager Steve Staios has already made his first move when he traded the No. 9 pick that he received from Florida to San Jose for forward William Eklund, forward Kasper Halttunen and rights to defenseman Brandon Svoboda.
The 23-year-old Eklund is the center piece of this deal and he has already played three full seasons with the Sharks along with parts of two others.
Eklund is not a big man at 5-10 and 185 pounds, but he is a player on the rise who has put together solid seasons in each of the past two years. He scored 17 goals and added 41 assists in 2024-25 that included 6 power play goals. He followed that up with 15 goals and 38 assists last season.
Eklund has offensive skills and will take on a new role with the Sens
Eklund has great offensive know-how, but he is more likely to pass than shoot the puck. He has an excellent left-handed shot, and the Sens may be able to convince him to shoot the puck a little more as he takes on the role of first-line left wing. He is likely to find himself on the left side of Tim Stutzle with Fabian Zetterlund on the right side.
The most noticeable asset to Eklund’s game is his skating ability. He has plenty of speed, but he also has great balance and surprising strength on his skates. He can keep the puck away from bigger defenders when he hits full speed and win the battle for the puck in the corners. Those are a couple of the reasons that he has a chance to go from being a productive young player into a star. He clearly has some work to do if he is going to get there, but he has the tools to improve.
Halttunen and Svoboda are prospects who have a chance to be competitive in the foreseeable future. The 21-year-old Hartunen is a big man with size, strength and a powerful shot. While his skating needs to get better, he is an aggressive man when battling for the puck in the corners.
Svoboda has the skills to become a legitimate NHL defenseman and the 21-year-old looks like he will be a greater asset on the defensive side of the ice. However, he can make a crisp first pass and can carry the puck out of trouble.
McTavish and DeBrusk among possible trade targets
The acquisition of Eklund is a solid opening move for the Senators to make after trading Tkachuk, but it should not be the only addition they make before the start of the upcoming season. They might have been looking at Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues, but he was traded to the Washington Capitals Tuesday. The Sens are going to have to look elsewhere if they are going to bring in additional talent.
Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks is a solid young player who is only going to get better. The 23-year-old has been the subject of trade rumors since last summer, and the Ontario native would be a solid fit for the Sens. He had 17 goals and 24 assists last season, so there is clearly room for his production to improve.
He has excellent offensive instincts, and he is not afraid to go into the dirty areas and get his shot off or create scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Jake DeBrusk is a solid veteran who has proven he can put the puck in the net throughout his career with the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks. The 29-year-old scored 23 goals last season, and he has potted 20 goals or more five times in his nine years in the league.
DeBrusk has good speed and a knack for scoring goals, but he regularly runs hot and cold. He can score goals in bunches and then go weeks without being able to drive the puck into the net.
Adding DeBrusk to the lineup can be a positive move, but the Senators need to be prepared that while he can score some eye-opening goals, he is not the most consistent goal scorer.
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