Aleksander Barkov's message made public – this is how he reacted to Tkachuk's mega trade

Aleksander Barkov led the Florida Panthers in preparing the biggest trade news of the summer earlier this week, as the team acquired Ottawa Senators star forward Brady Tkachuk. His brother Matthew Tkachuk is already playing with the Panthers.

The brothers discussed the trade in their joint Wingmen podcast. Matthew Tkachuk mentioned during the broadcast that Barkov reacted to the new teammate with exceptional enthusiasm.

– I know one guy who is super-duper-super excited about your arrival to the team. This one guy texted me many times before and after the trade, and that’s Barky (Barkov), Tkachuk praised.

– It was absolutely hilarious. He wrote something like, “I’m starting boxing lessons next week.”

Matthew Tkachuk also assessed that his brother Brady might not be the most excited about playing on the same team as a family member.

– I think he’s more excited about playing with Barky and a few others. Damn, Matthew Tkachuk exclaimed.

Brady Tkachuk, on the other hand, described the team as extremely high-level.

– The team has a ton of elite-level talent, like Barkov. The team is incredible, Brady Tkachuk continued with a laugh.

The Florida Panthers have won the Stanley Cup championship twice in a row in 2024 and 2025. However, last season ended in disappointment as the team did not make the playoffs.

The Tkachuk brothers also celebrated last season in national teams: the Tkachuks won Olympic gold with Team USA, and Barkov served as the captain of the Lions in a tournament that ended with World Championship gold.