Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito decided to give the hockey world something to talk about as he swung a trade for Brady Tkachuk late on Sunday night. The Panthers shipped three first-round picks and one second-rounder to get the Tkachuk brothers to join forces in sunny Florida as the Panthers look to regroup and mount a challenge for the Stanley Cup.
Per multiple reports, Tkachuk gave the Ottawa Senators a list of four teams he’d accept a trade to. While most would have expected his hometown of St. Louis to have featured on that list, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong set the record straight during a press conference on Monday.
Blues GM Addresses Failed Brady Tkachuk Chase
The four teams rumored to have been on Tkachuk’s list were the Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and Carolina Hurricanes.
As far back as rumors go around his future, Tkachuk has been strongly linked with a trade to either the New York Rangers or the St. Louis Blues. As it turns out, the Blues did make a call to see if Tkachuk would be receptive to a trade to St. Louis.
Army says Blues inquired about Tkachuk but were told they weren’t on his list. #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) June 22, 2026
Armstrong told reporters he enquired after Tkachuk but was informed that the Blues weren’t on the former Ottawa captain’s list of preferred destinations. The Minnesota Wild are also rumored to have checked in, but once Florida was an option, there was no looking back for Tkachuk.
It’s interesting to note, however, that the Blues were interested in taking a big swing. That said, Florida’s offer would have beaten anything St. Louis could have brought to the table. Florida’s #9 pick in the 2026 draft was the major piece going Ottawa’s way, in addition to the #25 pick.
St. Louis has some retooling to do of their own, as reports indicate they are receptive to offers on goalie Jordan Binnington and winger Jordan Kyrou. Both players have been linked with the Edmonton Oilers, though speculation around Kyrou indicates there’s more smoke than fire.
The Blues have reportedly taken Robert Thomas off their trade list, which suggests they are willing to make big moves to get back into contention for the Stanley Cup.
Insiders expect this trade market to catch fire, given the dearth of top free agents available in the class of 2026. After the Toronto Maple Leafs swung a sign-and-trade for Darren Raddysh, Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch remains the only potential game-changer available in free agency.
Names like Sergei Bobrovsky, John Carlson, and Anders Lee are also expected to be available come July 1.
The Blues, however, will need to look elsewhere for additional firepower. With Tkachuk off the trade board, we could still see Dylan Larkin, Vincent Trocheck, Darnell Nurse, Morgan Rielly, and Matthew Knies being moved. The Toronto Maple Leafs appear open to having trade discussions on Knies, a player under a cost-controlled $46.5 million deal.
