Forget the Trade Calgary Made — THIS Was the Matthew Tkachuk Deal They Should Have Taken

Alternatively, should the Flames have accepted this offer?

 

At the time, many thought the deal then-Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving completed in July 2022, when he sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, was fantastic, but hindsight might not be looking so favorably upon that trade.

 

Although many people were first taken aback by Treliving’s Tkachuk return—the Flames received Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau, defenseman Mackenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt, and a lottery-protected first-round pick—the deal has grown less and less advantageous as time has passed.

 

While Huberdeau was the center of their return from the Panthers’ 115-point career season, Schwindt would only play four games for the Flames, and Weegar played well enough for them. Huberdeau was swiftly signed by Treliving and the Flames to an eight-year deal with an average annual value and cap hit of $10.5 million per season, a contract he has not fulfilled since joining the Flames.

 

Since then, Huberdeau has only managed a combined 107 points in his first two seasons as a Flame, falling short of that 115-point mark. Things went worse from there; Huberdeau had a career low this past season, scoring just 10 goals and dishing out 15 assists for 25 points in 50 games for the Flames.

 

The alternative choice available.

What you may not realize is that the Flames had another deal on the table for Tkachuk when they ultimately shipped him to Florida; it was an offer from the Carolina Hurricanes that, in retrospect, may have been the superior choice. Although it has been rumored that the Hurricanes extended an offer, it wasn’t until this summer that NHL insider Elliotte Friedman detailed the offer.

 

“It was Florida and Carolina when Matthew was dealt to Florida at the conclusion,” Friedman stated on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. “Carolina’s package included [Martin] Necas and [Alexander] Nikishin, and I believe the Flames were obligated to accept Jake Gardiner’s money as part of it, along with one or two first-round selections.”

 

Naturally, the Flames could not have foreseen how Necas and Nikishin would evolve in the future, but it’s hard to conceive that they would not be in a stronger position today if they had chosen to accept the Flames’ offer.

 

Last season, Necas had 100 points in just 78 games, with 38 goals and 62 assists, making it an incredible season. He appears to be what the Flames had hoped Huberdeau would be for them at 27 years old.

 

On the other hand, Nikishin played for the Hurricanes for 18 minutes a night during the regular season and for over 15 minutes a night during their Stanley Cup winning run this past season. Due to his outstanding performance, he is probably going to get a significant increase on a new deal this summer.

 

Was the trade package for Matthew Tkachuk the wrong one for the Flames and general manager Brad Treliving?