The dust has settled a bit on the league-shaking trade in which the Calgary Flames sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, prospect forward Cole Schwindt, and a lottery-protected first-round pick in 2025.
Like most trades, we’ll need some more time before determining a winner, but both teams have a legitimate chance of claiming they “won” the deal.
However, Florida and Calgary weren’t the only big knockers in the trade market. The Carolina Hurricanes have kept the wheels churning and are pushing their chips to the center of the table, going all in on their quest for the Stanley Cup.
Here, we will be breaking down how the Flames-Panthers trade changes the future outlook for both franchises, as well as how the Hurricanes stack up among the NHL expert picks in the Eastern Conference.
Can Huberdeau Redeem the Franchise?
We may never know the degree to which Johnny Gaudreau’s departure in free agency influenced Tkachuk’s decision to not sign a long-term deal in Calgary, but to lose your team’s two leading scorers in the same offseason is never ideal.
Gaudreau’s Signed Deal
Gaudreau signed a seven-year deal worth just over $68 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets. After scoring 40 goals and adding 75 assists last season, Gaudreau brings a needed offensive punch to the Jackets’ top line across from Patrik Laine.
As for Tkachuk, losing his opposite winger was a big blow. The tandem of Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and center Elias Lindholm made up one of the most potent scoring lines in the league, with a sniper, a playmaker, and a power forward each playing their roles to near perfection.
Combining 124 goals last season (42.6% of the team total), failure to work out a long-term deal for Tkachuk could have long-term implications.
However, landing Huberdeau in the return can certainly help to soften the blow. Huberdeau finished last season tied with Gaudreau in the points race at 115 (30 goals, 85 assists), and he’s exceeded a point per game pace each of the past four seasons.
Weegar Bringing Stability
Weegar can also bring some stability to a defensive group that was exposed in the playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers, allowing an average of five goals per game despite scoring 20 goals in five games.
It’s likely Weegar lands on the second pairing with Chris Tanev, and the two should play well off each other at both ends of the ice.
Calgary’s Face
Still, this could blow up in Calgary’s face if Huberdeau and/or Weegar don’t work out long-term deals. Both are in contract years and will look to sign long-term deals.
If either leaves for free agency, it’s hard not to view the Flames-Panthers trade as an organizational failure for Calgary.
Panthers Extend Tkachuk, but Did They Give Up Too Much?
The initial reaction to the Flames-Panthers trade was that the Florida Panthers gave up a haul to get Tkachuk, the younger of the two 100-point players in the deal (Huberdeau is 29, Tkachuk is 24).
After another disappointing playoff exit, Florida added some toughness to the lineup in Tkachuk as someone who will get to the dirty areas of the ice, win puck battles, and throw his body around with a hit or a fight.
Shortly after the trade, the Panthers announced they signed Tkachuk to an eight-year, $76 million contract extension.
Long-Term Deals for Huberdeau
While the cap situation meant long-term deals for Huberdeau and Weegar were highly unlikely, it’s certainly a gamble for a player who has only exceeded a point-per-game pace once in six seasons. Still, Tkachuk is just entering the prime of his career, and Florida seems willing to take on that risk.
As for the other player in the deal, Schwindt, a third-round pick in the 2019 draft, has played in three NHL games and carries a -4 rating with no points.
He played 72 AHL games with the Charlotte Checkers last season, scoring 19 goals and adding 21 assists in that span. He was names the AHL’s rookie of the month in December.
As a right-shot forward who can play center or wing, Schwindt gives Calgary some lineup versatility further down the road.
Expectations
He projects as a bottom-six forward who thrives in the faceoff dot and on the penalty kill. While Schwindt likely won’t be a consistent 20-30 goal scorer at the NHL level, his two-way play should make him a mainstay in the Flames’ lineup after another year of AHL development.
Still, despite the pieces they gave up, Florida has the second-best NHL betting odds to win the Stanley Cup next season at +850.
With Calgary at +1900 despite playing in a considerably weaker division and conference as a whole, the Panthers appear to have won the deal, at least in the short term.
Hurricanes Making Waves
Not to be outdone in the trade market, Carolina Hurricanes continued their chaotic offseason trading for defenseman Brent Burns, sending forward Steven Lorentz, goalie prospect Eetu Makiniemi, and a third-round pick in 2023 to the San Jose Sharks.
Burns is consistently one of the top offensive defensemen in the game, and any time you can add a six-time All-Star to your blue line, you make the deal.
But they didn’t stop there. Taking advantage of the Vegas Golden Knights cap crunch, the Hurricanes also brought in Max Pacioretty for, quite literally, no cost.
Pacioretty for Future Considerations
The deal was Pacioretty to Carolina for “future considerations,” meaning the Canes get a perennial 30-goal scorer hungry for his first Stanley Cup win.
Carolina was unable to work out an extension for Nino Niederreiter and parted ways with controversial defenseman Tony DeAngelo in free agency, but filling those two roles in the lineup with Pacioretty and Burns, respectively, is a considerable upgrade.
Pacioretty’s Teammates
Pacioretty should join the top line with Sebastian Aho and either Seth Jarvis or Teuvo Teravainen on the opposite wing while Burns projects to pair with Jaccob Slavin on the top defensive pairing.
If they can figure out a way to keep Martin Necas (who is a restricted free agent) and stay cap compliant, the Hurricanes are in excellent shape for a Cup Run in 2022-23.
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