George Richards, FHN Publisher
Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito opened the team’s press conference introducing new star Matthew Tkachuk by thanking Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar — the two main pieces of the Calgary Flames’ return in the blockbuster trade.
The Panthers had been in initial conversations with Huberdeau’s agent about a contract extension as the six-year deal he signed had one season remaining.
With plenty of time to negotiate, a deal would likely get done with Huberdeau getting a substantial raise.
Although the two sides were apart on money, at least in the early stages of talks, Huberdeau did not seem to be the type who wanted out and Florida did not want him to leave.
But when Matthew Tkachuk suddenly and unexpectedly became available, the focus of the Florida front office made a quick turn.
If the Panthers could get Tkachuk — and lock him down long-term — they had to go for it.
So they did.
”There was no issue. But then this came up,” Zito told Florida Hockey Now following the end of Monday’s press conference.
“When you have the opportunity to get a guy like this, it was a very difficult decision but we made a collective decision to pursue it. And that was it. But there was no issue (with Huberdeau). None.”
According to Calgary general manager Brad Treliving, Tkachuk and agent Craig Oster — who happens to be his uncle — informed the Flames last weekend they would not be signing a long-term contract with the team.
Tkachuk was under team control for one more season as a restricted free agent but could (and was now planning to) walk as a free agent in 2023.
After failing to get Johnny Gaudreau to sign with the team and seeing him leave for Columbus as a free agent, the Flames at least knew what they were dealing with — and had the opportunity to get on their horse and start working on getting something in return for their other star forward.
Zito said he was first contacted by Oster last Wednesday and “I reached out to Calgary right away.”
Tkachuk reportedly said he would sign a long-term deal with a handful of teams including Florida, Carolina and his hometown St. Louis Blues whom his father Keith works as the team’s director of player recruitment.
That did not give Treliving a lot to work with, but it was something.
Speaking on Monday, Zito said before speaking with Oster and Treliving, he did not know the Panthers had a shot at a player like Tkachuk.
”At first, I did not believe it was true,” Zito said.
Again, that news changed the entire focus of the front office.
The wheels were in motion and they were moving fast.
Zito said he and Tkachuk had a in-depth conversation in which they talked about “hockey, South Florida, the Panthers, our future. It was a very healthy discussion and I enjoyed it.”
By Friday, the deal had moved forward to the point Oster informed Tkachuk something would likely happen that day — and for him not to turn off his phone.
On the Jersey Shore to celebrate his brother Brady’s engagement with their family, Matthew was told not to say anything to anyone in worry news would leak.
Still, he was so excited, he told his parents.
”I went to the beach and, of course, I left my phone in the room,” Tkachuk said. “I had a bunch of missed calls. Someone grabbed me and told me to call my uncle and he said we had something going with Florida.
“I was the happiest person ever. He said ‘don’t tell anyone’ so I went to my parents’ room and told them. I was thinking about everything but we couldn’t say anything.”
The Panthers stayed mum as financial details were worked out on the contract Tkachuk eventually signed later that night — with his mother Chantal signing as the witness.
Huberdeau’s camp was not alerted a trade was coming until it was done.
Sometime after 11 p.m. on Friday, the NHL approved the deal and the insiders tweeted it out to the world.
Huberdeau, speaking to TSN-1050 in Toronto on Monday afternoon, did not seem real happy with the way things were handled.
”Calgary is a great city so I am looking forward to that, but it was shocking at first. Life goes on and I am excited to be a Flame,” Huberdeau said.
When pressed, he said “I would have liked an explination. Obviously Tkachuk is younger and this is a business. We all understand that.
“But I gave a lot to the organization and I would have liked to have gotten a little more respect. But that’s hockey and that’s business. I can get over that. I’m thinking ahead and have a new chapter.”
The Panthers saw Tkachuk as a transformative player whom they had to go and get if they had the chance.
On Saturday, Tkachuk told Sportsnet that Florida “pushed like hell” to get the trade done.
Florida not only traded Huberdeau and Weegar — their combined $9.15 million were needed to clear cap space with Tkachuk working out a $9.5 annual paycheck — but threw in a prospect and their next available first-round pick.
Montreal has Florida’s 2023 pick and Philadelphia owns the 2024 one.
The Panthers, knowing the expiring contracts of Huberdeau and Weegar would not be enough, gave Calgary some future assets as well to make sure they were not beat out by another team.
”Situations, like this, when you can add a player like Matthew to your organization, the price is steep,” Zito said. “That’s how things worked out.”
As for Huberdeau, he said Monday that he would be open to signing a long-team deal to stay in Calgary although no one expected him to say anything different.
Will Huberdeau remain in Calgary?
That certainly remains to be seen. Weegar had similar comments when asked about his potential long-term plans with the Flames.
At least the Flames have two high profile players to start their defense of the Pacific Division title with as well as time to get long-term deals done with.
Calgary knew Tkachuk was not coming back after this coming season; Florida was in the same boat when it came to Huberdeau.
A deal probably working out is not a deal worked out.
“I am open to stay in Calgary for a long time,” Huberdeau said on Monday as he was introduced to the Calgary media via a Zoom call from his home in Monteal.
“We have only been here 48 hours and haven’t been to Calgary to see everything, but I am open to it. It’s up to the GM and my agent. They have already started talking about it. We’ll see what happens. But I am open to it.”
What Huberdeau said Monday sounds a lot like what Tkachuk conveyed when Calgary’s season ended with a second-round loss to the Avalanche.
“I’ve loved it here. I’ve grown up here,’’ Tkachuk said according to Calgary Hockey Now.
“The more I think about It, I came here and didn’t really know anything about Calgary. I didn’t know anything about Western Canada. My mom’s from Winnipeg, so I guess that’s as far west as I knew and kind of just fell in love with it here.”
As the offseason grew longer, Tkachuk decided he had put himself in position by signing a three-year bridge deal as an RFA in 2019 to have the flexibility to decide his future.
He was going to move on from the Flames and would do so either in a trade or next summer on his own. Either way, he was able to pretty much control his fate.
And, By all accounts, Tkachuk was up front and honest with Treliving. That gave the Flames an opportunity to get a nice return back instead of the nothingburger they received when Gaudreau took his 115 points to Columbus.
By working with Calgary and signing his contract with the Flames before the trade, Tkachuk was able to get the eight-year maximum.
Because he was a restricted free agent who was going to arbitration, the window had closed on Florida being able to give him the extra year if he was simply traded to the Panthers before agreeing on a new deal.
It was not the result Calgary would have liked a few weeks ago but it is much better than many thought things would end up.
”I think it was huge for them and I hope that they realize it took a me a while to realize what I wanted,” Tkachuk told FHN as he was leaving the arena to meet with a realtor in Fort Lauderdale.
“I signed the last deal to put myself in position — not that I was unhappy or wanted out or anything like that — so I could evaluate my career and where I was at 24. It all changes when I got to talk to other teams during the RFA process and decided what I want.
“The phone call to Brad Treliving was the hardest one I ever made. He is someone I really respect, one of the best guys I have ever met and not just in hockey.
“I could have been tough to deal with, said ‘I will only go here’ and made things harder but I kind of worked with him. Me and my uncle — Scott Oster, who is the best — worked with them and Florida and everyone is happy right now.”
Yes, for Tkachuk, things worked out swimmingly.
Literally as well as figuratively in this particular case.