An RFA with just one year left before qualifying for unrestricted free agency, Matthew Tkachuk informed the Calgary Flames that he would not sign a long term deal in Calgary. The Flames moved quickly, finding a deal with the Florida Panthers to salvage some value from Tkachuk after losing Johnny Gaudreau for nothing earlier in the offseason. Tkachuk is set to start a new chapter in his career next season after signing an 8 year deal with the Panthers.
2021-2022 Performance
The 21/22 season was the final year of a 3 year deal Tkachuk signed with the Flames in 2019 with escalating salary each year leading to a $9M qualifying offer despite the $7M cap hit.
- Signed: September 25, 2019
- Signed by: Calgary Flames
- Length: 3 years
- Cap Hit: $7.0M
- Clause: None
Tkachuk spent the 21/22 season on a line with Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm and the trio combined to be one of the best, if not the best line in the NHL. They terrorized the league, seemingly scoring at will while playing a very defensively responsible game. Tkachuk chipped in 42 goals and 104 points, crushing the model projections for his offensive impact.
Tkachuk added 10 points in 12 playoff games, including 2 goals and 4 assists at 5v5 as the Flames fell in the second round of the playoffs to the archrival Edmonton Oilers.
2022-2023 Projections
A 104 point campaign in the 21/22 season had Tkachuk primed for a big payday this summer. With only a year left before hitting unrestricted free agency, he forced the Flames hand by informing them he did not intend to sign a long term extension in Calgary. Ultimately, they traded him to Florida and signed him to a $76M contract as part of the process.
- Signed: July 22, 2022
- Signed by: Calgary Flames
- Length: 8 years
- Cap Hit: $9.5M
- Clause: NMC starting in year 2, M-NTC starting in year 7
After his breakout season offensively in 21/22, Tkachuk’s projected impact has improved significantly heading into the 22/23 season. His offensive impact is now projected to be among the elite of NHL forwards and he brings a strong defensive conscience to go with it. Only 24, Tkachuk is just entering his prime years and the Panthers have one of the game’s best young stars locked up for the duration of it.
Want to peruse the full set of player projections or team profiles for next season? Sign up for an annual membership to get access to all the 22/23 team and player projection cards. Plots will be updated through the offseason as the 22/23 rosters take shape and will be updated to track progress through the season so you can follow along with the changing landscape.
Input data for models from Natural Stat Trick. Contract data from CapFriendly.
