SUNRISE, Fla. — WPTV anchor and Panthers 360 host Mike Trim interviewed Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito the morning after the organization announced the blockbuster Brady Tkachuk deal.
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Tkachuk was officially introduced at a news conference Tuesday morning in Fort Lauderdale.
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During the interview, Trim asked Zito, "What does Brady Tkachuk bring to an already outstanding Florida Panthers roster?"
"Obviously, he's a size, strength forward with some speed. He's got some skill at scoring touch. He's got a physical part to his game. He's a team captain. He's a leader. I mean, there's not a whole lot that he isn't other than small," Zito replied.
Talking about Brady Tkachuk playing with his brother Matthew on the same team, Zito said, "When you have brothers, there's an added benefit, there's a plus, there's an energy that comes from that."
Trim asked Zito, "You got to see them gel on the same line in the Milan Olympics. What was that like seeing them play together?"
"The best word actually to describe it is fun," Zito told Trim. "A good word in this situation, magnetism, they pull people towards them. I think he'll fit into our group seamlessly, both as a teammate and then on ice being deployed however the coaches decide."
Trim asked Zito about the Florida Panthers becoming a desired destination.
"Seeing, especially this offseason, potential free agents saying, 'Hey, I've got a list of teams,' and Florida seems to keep showing up. What does that say about the state of the Florida Panthers organization?" Trim asked.
"It's gratifying and humbling, I think players want to win ultimately. But I do know that the commitment from [team owner Vincent] Viola to us, when you combine the winning with that family atmosphere and then obviously South Florida, it's a pretty positive combination," Zito said.
The NHL draft is happening Friday night, so Trim asked, "Are the fans expecting to see any more movement before draft day?"
"I'm sure they're expecting or hope, right? I don't know, we have this fascination with, 'Oh, there's a trade. What did they trade?'" Zito said. "The one thing I think the fans can know for sure is we will be thorough and exhaustive in our pursuit of things we can do to help make our team better."
The Panthers 360 Draft Special airs on WPTV and WSFL at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The Florida Panthers will have a draft party at Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale on Friday night. Activities start at 5 p.m. with a pre-draft panel starting at 6 p.m. The NHL 2026 Draft begins at 7 p.m.
