It’s been weeks since Brady Tkachuk was traded from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers on June 21, 2026. As per the recent developments, an NHL insider, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, is hinting at locker room tension that led Ottawa to make the decision regarding Brady. 

Ottawa traded for the No. 9 and No. 25 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, another first-round pick (conditional) in the 2029 NHL Draft, and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. But behind the trade, Brady and his brother Matthew’s podcast became a point of frustration in the Senators' locker room.

“Post-Olympics, a lot was going on. The players were tired of it,” Friedman said on the July 6 episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. “I did have someone who reached out to me, one of the players. He said the podcast caused some problems, and it was just time [for Tkachuk to go].”

Friedman's claims on the 32 Thoughts podcast hinted at the Wingmen podcast that Brady and his brother Matthew started last November as co-hosts. Their father, Keith, was a frequent guest, and the show gained attention during the NHL season for its open opinions.

In April, Keith drew attention on the podcast after calling modern injury tolerance "disgusting" and criticizing players who sit out with minor injuries.

“Oh, my pinky hurts. I’m out for 6-8 [weeks],” Keith said in a mocking voice.

This did not sit well with Ottawa as it was believed to be hinted at Senators goalie Linus Ullmark, who took a leave of absence for personal reasons back in December.

Even though Brady later tried to do damage control, claiming that his father’s comment was directed at the Panthers, not everyone bought it. 

Meanwhile, the bitterness towards Brady persists in Ottawa even after the trade. 

Ottawa Senators launched a campaign after trading Brady Tkachuk

On July 2, the Senators camp came out with a new campaign named and tagged it as “Out with the old and in with the new.” The official X account of Ottawa posted an offer for the fans to swap their Brady Tkachuk jerseys in return for an exciting offer.

“From July 3-7 at Ottawa Team Threads at @CdnTireCtr you can trade in your officially licensed Fanatics Brady Tkachuk stitched jersey and you can save 40% on regularly priced merch!” it read.

To avail the offer, fans must own a Fanatics jersey, as those were introduced only for the 2024-25 season. As reported by FOX Sports, jerseys made by Adidas during the previous six seasons are not eligible for the 40% discount on regular-priced merchandise.

After the trade, the Senators signed Nick Cousins to a two-year extension, along with former Flyers goalie Sam Ersson to a two-year deal.

Do you think the podcast played an important role in Brady Tkachuk’s trade? Let us know in the comments. 

Read more at NHL Fan Central. 

Written by

Soheli Tarafdar

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar