Report: Flames could trade Matthew Tkachuk as soon as this week
The Calgary Flames lost leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau in free agency last week, and the team's second-leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk may be following him out the door.
On Monday, the Flames announced that they filed for club-elected salary arbitration with Tkachuk in hopes of a contract resolution. According to Eric Francis of Sportsnet, that decision was likely made with the sole intention of buying the team time to negotiate a trade.
Francis wrote on Monday that Tkachuk's departure from Calgary "very much appears on the brink" of happening.
Last week, the Flames announced a qualifying offer was extended to Tkachuk, which would be one-year, $9 million for the winger. Calgary's decision to file for arbitration suggests Tkachuk was willing to sign the offer sheet, making himself eligible for free agency in 2023 and not very valuable to the Flames as a trade asset.
Tkachuk, 24, was the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft and made his Flames debut later that year at age 18. After averaging 55.6 points per season in his first five years in the NHL, Tkachuk stepped up his play in a big way during the 2021-22 season with 42 goals and 62 assists.
Gaudreau and Tkachuk became the first pair of Flames teammates in over 30 years to finish a season with over 100 points each.
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