NY Rangers Reportedly Were Not One of 4 Teams on Brady Tkachuk Trade List

The New York Rangers were reportedly not in the mix as a team Brady Tkachuk wanted to play for.

Mar 8, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) gets in position for a faceoff in the first period against the New York Rangers at the Canadian Tire Centre. / Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

When trade rumors involving Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk began to swirl, the New York Rangers were viewed as one of the teams that would not only make a run at him but also be a preferred landing spot.

There is certainly something intriguing in being acquired and helping turn around a downtrodden franchise in New York City. Look what it has done for Jalen Brunson, who led the New York Knicks to an NBA title for the first time in 53 years and is now immortalized as an all-time great.

The same thing happened with Mark Messier 32 years ago when he helped the Rangers snap their Stanley Cup drought. Of course, that isn’t to say Tkachuk would have come to New York and turned the franchise around instantly.

The biggest takeaway from him being traded to the Florida Panthers is that the Rangers aren’t viewed as a destination at all currently by top players around the league. As shared by Pierre LeBrun of TSN, RDS Hockey and The Athletic, the Blueshirts didn’t make the cut for Tkachuk’s list.

Rangers didn't make Brady Tkachuk's trade list

Apr 20, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) comes off the ice after the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. / James Guillory-Imagn Images

The hockey insider shared on X that the Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild were in contention for Tkachuk before he was traded to the Panthers, where he will team up with his brother, Matthew Tkachuk.

“My understanding is the Senators also had conversations with Carolina and Vegas, other teams that were on Tkachuk's list. I also think Minnesota was on the list. Four-team list but in the end, Brady obviously wanted to go join his brother in Florida. 
Senators made the best of a tough situation,” he wrote in his post on X.

To pry Tkachuk from the Senators, Florida had to pay a premium price. Ottawa received the Nos. 9 and 25 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional first-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft.

Hours before the acquisition of Tkachuck was announced, the Panthers traded Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken. Part of the return package in that deal was the No. 25 pick that was soon flipped to the Senators.

My understanding is the Senators also had conversations with Carolina and Vegas, other teams that were on Tkachuk's list. I also think Minnesota was on the list. Four-team list but in the end, Brady obviously wanted to go join his brother in Florida.
Senators made the best of a…

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 21, 2026

A very strong argument could be made that New York wasn’t in a position to make a trade of that magnitude. Surrendering four draft picks, given the current state of their development pipeline, would have been organizational malpractice.

After finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference this past season, the Rangers are more than a Tkachuk away from not only contending for a playoff spot but being a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup.

Had they traded away all of that draft capital, the disdain for team president and general manager Chris Drury would have reached a fever pitch.