The Florida Panthers just wrapped up their 4 Nations Face-Off break. Unfortunately, it started with a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night. As a result, the defending Stanley Cup Champions are now second in the Atlantic Division with a record of 35-21-3 (73 points). The Toronto Maple Leafs lead them by just a mere point with a record of 36-20-2 (74 points).
During the 4 Nations tournament, Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk accomplished something he had dreamed of. He got to play on the same line as his brother, Ottawa Senators forward and captain, Brady Tkachuk. The brothers combined for five goals and an assist in the tournament. Fans and analysts believed that Brady should get out of Canada’s capital and take his talents to Broward County. With Matthew potentially out long-term, his salary of $9.5 million could be allocated to long-term injured reserve (LTIR) to make a potential move to bolster up for a repeat.
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Unfortunately, we all have to keep dreaming. A trade to send the Senators’ captain to Sunrise might be out of the realm of reality.
Senators Would Want a King’s Ransom for Their Captain
Even if Brady is extremely fond of a move to South Florida, the Senators would want a bulk order for their captain to be shipped off.
If Brady’s missing from the lineup, there’d be a big gap in the left-wing spot for the Senators, which would force them to bump up depth that can’t match the talent level missing. They would probably want a winger they could easily slot into his spot, such as Carter Verhaeghe or Sam Reinhart, two players the Panthers recently extended.
Brady’s Contract Could Be Too Much for Panthers’ Cap Situation
Because general manager Bill Zito made extensions to Reinhart, Verhaeghe, and Anton Lundell, the team does not have much money in play. The team has a projected cap space of a little more than $767,000 to work with.
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Brady carries a massive cap hit with a contract worth more than $8.205 million. This is the fourth of the seven years he was signed on for. Granted, once the playoffs roll around, the cap becomes infinite. But if the Panthers expect to keep him around past this postseason, they’d have to make drastic moves. That could be too much for Zito’s liking.
Panthers Could Acquire Brady in the Future
A trade for Brady is unrealistic at this point in time. But, it is on the table in the future. As previously mentioned, he is on the fourth year of a seven-year deal.
By the end of his contract, the Panthers could have some big deals completely off the books. This includes goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who carries a $10 million cap hit. Additionally, the salary cap is expected to rise significantly over the next few years, giving the team even more cash to work with.
Regardless, Don’t Count on It Right Now
Ultimately, the move is just not in the cards right now for Zito and Company to make. Especially considering the team has expressed more interest in bringing in a right-shot defenseman and may need to allocate more funds towards that.
For both Matthew and Brady, the two playing together would be a dream come true. Fans would love to see it happen at the NHL level as opposed to every couple of years in an international tournament. But there are too many blockades right now for something to happen.
