New information about Matthew Tkachuk's move to Florida – another top offer on the table

Matthew Tkachuk‘s trade from the Calgary Flames to the Florida Panthers in the summer of 2022 marked perhaps a decisive turning point for the Florida franchise, initiating a successful streak that led to two consecutive Stanley Cup championships in the NHL.

The insider reporter Elliotte Friedman, who hosts the 32 Thoughts podcast, has now revealed new information about the events of the summer of 2022.

According to Friedman, the then-general manager of the Flames, Brad Treliving, had another potential trade proposal for Tkachuk on the table in addition to the Panthers’ offer.

– When Matthew was traded to Florida, the final contenders were Florida and Carolina. Carolina’s package included Martin Necas and Aleksandr Nikishin. Additionally, Florida would have had to take on Jake Gardiner‘s contract. One or two first-round draft picks would also have been included in the package, Friedman states.

Ultimately, however, the Flames chose to accept the offer made by the Panthers instead of the Hurricanes. The Panthers traded Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a protected first-round draft pick in return.

In hindsight, the trade clearly turned out to be in favor of the Panthers. At the time of the blockbuster trade, promising forward Schwindt had played only four games for the Flames, while Weegar, the only one of the trio to succeed in Calgary, continued his journey to the Utah Mammoth at the last trade deadline.

The most notable player arriving from the Panthers, Huberdeau, has struggled significantly in Calgary. Before his trade, the winger had a standout season with 115 points in Florida, but has managed to collect only 62 points in his best of three seasons with the Flames.