Matthew Tkachuk recently shed light on the process that led to his trade from the Calgary Flames to the Florida Panthers. In a surprising move last summer, Tkachuk was sent to Florida in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. The deal worked out extremely well for the Panthers, who, with Tkachuk being an integral part of the team’s success, made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
Tkachuk revealed that he and the Flames collaborated on the trade, with Calgary granting him permission to engage in discussions with other teams for one week. This allowed him to explore his options and find a suitable destination for a long-term deal, ultimately leading him to Florida. ‘’We worked on it together. With (Calgary’s) permission, I was able for one week to talk to other teams and figure it out. I don’t want to say specific teams but I talked to a bunch of them. I had to be honest. It would be like ‘no no, no, no, maybe, yes, yes, no.’”, he explained.
Tkachuk disclosed that the Panthers were not the only team in consideration. He mentioned that he had conversations with multiple teams during the process, keeping his options open. However, as he evaluated his choices, three finalists emerged: Florida, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the St. Louis Blues.
Throughout this period, Tkachuk meticulously researched each option, aiming to make an informed and important decision. Despite considering multiple possibilities, his heart gravitated toward Florida, and it became increasingly evident that the Panthers were the right fit for him.
“It was a very interesting time and I just wanted to learn the most I could before this very important decision. But every single day, everything started pointing towards Florida and that’s where my heart was the whole time.’’ When asked if he thought he would love Florida as much as he does, he responded that he anticipated he would enjoy it but not to the level he does. He pointed to the camaraderie with teammates, the community, the various activities, and a number of other factors that showed him he made the right choice.
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