A blockbuster deal that brings brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk together on the same NHL team has sent oddsmakers scrambling, pushing the Florida Panthers into the upper tier of Stanley Cup favorites heading into the 2026-27 season.
The move came as something of a surprise given that Florida finished 14th in the Eastern Conference last season and failed to reach the playoffs. General manager Bill Zito made an aggressive push to reshape the roster, giving up a hefty package that includes three first-round picks. Earlier that same Sunday, Florida also shipped Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken before finalizing the deal to bring Brady Tkachuk aboard to play alongside his older brother Matthew.
At BetMGM, the Panthers’ Stanley Cup odds improved dramatically — shifting from +1100 before the trade to +800 afterward. The sportsbook also noted that since the deal was completed, 64% of all bets placed on next season’s Stanley Cup winner have gone toward Florida.
Only two teams currently carry shorter odds at BetMGM: the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes and the Colorado Avalanche, both sitting at +750. The Panthers’ surge pushed them past the Vegas Golden Knights, now listed at +900, and further ahead of the Edmonton Oilers at +1100.
Interestingly, the Golden Knights remain the book’s biggest financial liability despite attracting just 7.7% of total bets placed — because 80.6% of all money wagered on the Stanley Cup champion has gone toward Vegas. In terms of total bet volume, Colorado leads with 16.5%, followed by Florida at 12.6% and Carolina at 11.5%.
On the other side of the deal, the Ottawa Senators saw their own title odds worsen, moving from +1800 to +2500 following the departure of their franchise cornerstone.
Brady Tkachuk, 26, was Ottawa’s fourth overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft and stepped right into the lineup after being chosen. Over eight seasons with the Senators, the forward accumulated 463 points — 213 goals and 250 assists — across 572 games.
Both Brady and his brother Matthew, 28, were part of the Team USA squad that captured Olympic gold earlier this year. Now the two aim to deliver championship success to Florida, a team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups before falling short of the playoffs last season.
Ottawa did make the postseason in each of the last two years — the first playoff appearances during Brady Tkachuk’s tenure — but the Senators have not advanced past the first round since 2017.
In return for Tkachuk, Ottawa will receive Florida’s two first-round picks in this year’s draft, slotted at ninth and 25th overall, along with a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2029 and a second-round selection in 2027.
