Matthew Tkachuk trade: Who won the Panthers and Flames deal?

Hockey fans were treated to an absolute blockbuster of a trade on Friday night.

After a few days of furious trade rumors, the Calgary Flames dealt Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for a massive package that would have made the NBA blush. Even with the NHL offseason in full swing, the Flames and Panthers came out wheeling and dealing late Friday night to stun the hockey world.

It’s not often we see a NHL trade of this magnitude, especially in the middle of the offseason. And on a Friday night, no less! Let’s take a look at how the Panthers and Flames grade out on this gargantuan deal that sees one of the most explosive offensive players in the game head to Florida long-term.

Let’s talk some spice because this trade has everything.

The Panthers also extended Tkachuk to an eight year, $76 million deal, which comes out to a $9.5 million AAV.

Panthers grade: C+

Look, the Panthers got an incredible player in Tkachuk. The 24-year-old forward put up 42 goals and 104 points in a full 82-game season. Tkachuk will absolutely be a stud player for Florida for years to come, especially with the eight-year extension that locks in the RFA through the 2030-31 season (which absolutely isn’t real, by the way).

And yet, this is a lot to give up, especially because the Panthers basically swapped 100-point players with Huberdeau going in return. Weegar might have been headed for free agency after the 2022-23 season with the Panthers cap situation being what it is, but the loss of a defenseman who played an average of 23 minutes a night is tough to swallow.

The Panthers paid a high price to swap players of similar caliber (though Tkachuk is five years younger than Huberdeau, which is significant) while losing a defenseman, a prospect, and a lottery-protected first in 2025. I can’t knock the Panthers too hard here, as Tkachuk is a stellar whose exceptional lethality is worth the investment, but the price is no doubt a steep one.

Flames grade: A-

The Flames may have lost both Johnny Gaudreau and Tkachuk this offseason, but my god have they recovered well and then some. Getting back a high quality player in Huberdeau (30 goals, 115 points in 80 games last year) and a top pairing defenseman in Weegar may very well have saved Calgary from being an unmitigated disaster next season.

Yes, Huberdeau and Weegar are both in the final years of their contracts, and it’s a worry that both may head to free agency in a years time. And yet, the Flames have the option to flip them at the trade deadline should things just not work out this year, potentially getting even more assets in return alongside the first rounder they picked up here.

Losing Gaudreau and Tkachuk is not ideal at all, but considering the corner general manger Brad Treliving was backed into here, he did a phenomenal job of turning a lost cause into an emphatic victory.