The blockbuster trade that went down in 2022 between the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers involving Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar for Matthew Tkachuk is finally fully in the books.
There was perhaps no more shocking trade in recent NHL history when the Calgary Flames sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers and in return received Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar.
The trade was especially stunning, considering that Huberdeau had just reached a new career-best 115 points and helped the Panthers to a team-best 58 victories while also helping them win what was their 1st postseason series round since 1996.
As part of the trade, the Panthers also sent a conditional 1st round pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Entry Draft to the Panthers, and that pick has now been confirmed as being the 32nd overall in Round 1.
The success for the Panthers since the blockbuster trade went down speaks for itself and is perhaps better than anyone could have realistically predicted. They've advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last 3 years, and have now won back to back Stanley Cups.
Tkachuk and the Panthers continue the celebration in the Sunshine State, which has now produced a Stanley Cup Finalist (including their divisional foe Tampa Bay Lightning from 2020 through 2022) in each of the last 6 years.
Meanwhile, the Flames have yet to return to the postseason since the trade. Huberdeau's production fell by a stunning margin, as he experienced the biggest drop-off in production from one year to the next in NHL history.
Right now, it's clear that the Panthers made out like bandits over the Flames with the trade, which at the time appeared to be completely one-sided in Calgary's favor.
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