Matthew Tkachuk bids farewell to Panthers teammates after franchise-altering trades

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk called the departures of Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist ‘heartbreaking’ after the franchise-altering trades on 18 June.

What happened?

The Florida Panthers reshaped their roster on 18 June by trading Rodrigues, Boqvist and Ben Steeves to the New Jersey Devils. In return, Florida landed Jacob Markstrom and Angus Crookshank, while Sergei Bobrovsky left for the Toronto Maple Leafs the next day. The moves capped weeks of roster turnover under GM Bill Zito.

Tkachuk spoke on his Wingmen podcast with brother Brady about the players who shaped Florida’s Stanley Cup runs. “Guys that have had such a huge impact on my career and my team in Florida,” he said. “Champions forever, we’ll walk together forever.”

Why it matters for Matthew Tkachuk

Rodrigues played every line yet delivered relentless effort nightly. “On any given night, he could find himself on any of Florida’s four lines and yet would still give the same, full-hearted effort every single shift,” Tkachuk said. “Such a great guy with such an amazing family. I’m really, really sad to see him go.”

Boqvist’s playoff heroics stood out. Tkachuk recalled Boqvist’s two-game surge in the 2025 Stanley Cup run. After missing Game 4 against Toronto, Boqvist stepped into the top line and scored a series-shifting goal. “He was our best player in Game 5,” Tkachuk said. “Scored a huge goal against Toronto and was just unreal that game.”

What comes next for the Panthers

Florida’s new-look roster must prove itself in training camp. Markstrom arrives as the planned successor to Bobrovsky, while Crookshank adds depth up front. The core group of Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad remains intact, but the supporting cast looks entirely different.

Tkachuk’s praise for Rodrigues and Boqvist signals respect, not regret. “New Jersey is getting a good one,” he said of Rodrigues. “I really hope our paths can cross again at some point.” The trades close a chapter on Florida’s recent contending era-one Tkachuk helped write.