|
Kevin: Flames get rich return on Tkachuk, but Panthers happy with deal |
|
|
|
|
|
The immediate social media response to the Matthew Tkachuk trade is that the Florida Panthers were fleeced. They landed Tkachuk and a conditional fourth-round pick, but gave up Jordan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, a top 10 2025 first-round pick and B+ prospect Cole Schwindt.
Immediately, Tkachuk signed an eight-year deal with Florida for $9.5 million per season.
If Huberdeau signs with Calgary or if they trade his rights for more players, the Flames can be a big winner on this deal. Many believe the Panthers gave up too much. Huberdeau is an elite offensive player. But the truth is both teams got what they wanted:
Why the Florida Panthers wanted to make this trade
1. The Panthers believe they are close to being ready to win the Stanley Cup, and Tkachuk is a difference-maker who can put them over the top.
2. Tkachuk is five years younger than Huberdeau. An eight-deal takes Tkachuk to age 32. If they re-signed Huberdeau to an eight-year, he would have been 37 at the end of the deal.
3. Tkachuk is as offensively talented as Huberdeau, but adds an extra layer of agitation and snarl. Tkachuk is annoying to play against.
4. Panthers were looking to move MacKenzie Weegar's $3.25 million salary as a cost-saving move.
5. The signing cost of Huberdeau and Tkachuk was going to be similar and Tkachuk wanted to play in Florida. The Panthers couldn't be sure how negotiations would go with Huberdeau. Was there a sense that Huberdeau wasn't going to re-sign? We simply don't know. There was no headache in the Tkachuk negotiation.
6. Giving up another first-round draft pick seems acceptable because they believe they are just at the start of a window of opportunity to win the Cup. (But fans should be concerned that the Panthers don't have another first-round pick until 2026)
7. Despite making several high profile trades, The Panthers have kept their top prospect Gregory Denisenko. Anton Lundell is only 20 and is developing into an impact player.
Why the Calgary Flames agreed to this deal
1. This deal offers the possibility of an exceptional return because of the many options available to the Flames.
2. Flames can try to sign Huberdeau. He can replace Johnny Gaudreau's offense. If Huberdeau doesn't want to re-sign, they can trade Huberdeau him as a rental and get another strong return. His $5.9 million cap hit for this season could be workable for plenty of contenders or maybe a team trying trying to get into the playoffs like the New York Islanders or New Jersey Devils
3. If they trade Huberdeau before the season, they can get another return with no risk. If they wait until the trade deadline, they have the risk that Huberdeau would become injured.
4. Weeger fills a hole the Flames had on defense. If the Flames don't have a quality season, they can trade Weegar at the deadline for another draft pick.
5. Whatever happens with Huberdeau and Weegar, the Flames have the first-round pick and a decent prospect in Cole Schwindt. He is hard to play against.
6. This eases the pain of letting Gaudreau leave without getting anything in return.
Join the Discussion:
»