Sick Puck Links: Comparisons Between McTavish and O’Reilly; Panthers Acquire Brady Tkachuk
Welcome to ‘Sick Puck Links’ here at SickPodcasts.com.
From Monday to Friday mornings, we will link not just our content from the previous days but also the hottest news around the NHL.
So get ready to start your Monday morning with the latest and hottest news and NHL trade rumours from around the hockey world that happened on the weekend!
Sick Links:
My latest on @sickmediaco:
The #Canadiens have assets, prospects and cap flexibility. The question isn’t whether they can make a big move. It’s whether the right opportunity is finally presenting itself. #Habs #GoHabsGohttps://t.co/ohO7BWX4NM— GrumpaDotCA (@GrumpaDotCA) June 21, 2026
My colleague JD Legrange wrote his new weekly Sunday morning column called Out of the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge, where he discussed the interest that the Montreal Canadiens have in forward Mason McTavish and made comparisons between him and centre Ryan O’Reilly at the same age. Do you see the similarities between these two players?
On Saturday, I wrote about why Mason Marchment would be a fit for the Canadiens, given how he could be a boost in the middle 6 while bringing a mix of scoring and grit, which would only help the Habs come playoff time. Could the Habs entice Marchment into coming to play for them?
The Montreal Canadiens need big physical power forwards. UFA forward Mason Marchment could be a perfect fit with his mix of goal-scoring ability and grit. Would you want to see Marchment with the Habs?#GoHabsGo #NHLFreeAgency @sickmediaco
Written by: Nick Lariviere…
— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) June 20, 2026
While the Habs are looking to acquire an upgrade at 2nd line centre, there is the possibility that they won’t be successful at doing so in the off-season. With that being said, can the Habs continue to successfully run Oliver Kapanen at 2nd line centre for next year if they can’t acquire anybody else?
Puck Links:
The news of the weekend was clearly that the Ottawa Senators sent their captain, Brady Tkachuk, to the Florida Panthers in a trade for 3 1st-round picks and a 2nd-round pick. Tkachuk will join his brother, Matthew, with the Panthers as the team looks to bounce back into a Stanley Cup contender after an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign.
https://twitter.com/Senators/status/2068842120585097437
Earlier on Sunday, the Panthers had previously traded forward Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken for a 1st round pick in 2026 (used later in the Tkachuk trade) and a conditional 2nd rounder in 2027 (the higher of the Columbus or Winnipeg 2nd rounders). Samoskevich will get a chance where he can play more after being buried in the Panthers system over the past few seasons.
We have acquired Tampa Bay’s 2026 first-round selection (previously acquired by Seattle) and a 2027 second-round selection (conditional) from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for forward Mackie Samoskevich.
Details » https://t.co/krM1KqB1GP pic.twitter.com/rR5A2Wl0vQ
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 21, 2026
The Seattle Kraken re-signed forward Bobby McMann to a 6-year $34.5 million deal ($5.75M AAV). McMann put up 10 goals and 14 points in 18 games with the Kraken since being traded at the Trade Deadline by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Forward Jason Dickinson re-signed with the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday at noon. He will be staying in oil country for the next 5 years at an average salary of $4 million per season. Since being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, Dickinson recorded a goal and 3 assists in 17 games with the Oilers. However, it was the playoffs where he had a positive impact, scoring 2 goals and an assist in 4 postseason matchups.
https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/2068725699062755704
Speaking of the Oilers, there hasn’t been any confirmation yet, but since former NHL head coach Mike Babcock was cleared in the league’s latest investigations, all signs are pointing to him being the next head coach of the team. The next few days will be interesting to see if the Oilers officially announce him as head coach or end up surprising everyone and looking elsewhere.
According to The Fourth Period, forwards Jaden Schwartz and Mason Marchment will both be among those who will be leaving their respective teams to test the free agent market on July 1st. Dave Pagnotta also mentioned that there are a lot of rumours of Bowen Byram being moved by the Buffalo Sabres to bring in some offence.
