Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers tops list of 5 best offseason trades
Anthony Scultore
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In what was a huge summer of trades for many players, Matthew Tkachuk was the biggest deal of them all.
Now that NHL Training Camps are open all around the league in preparation for the 2022-23 campaign, let’s look back at the 5 best trades this offseason.
5 Best Trades: Matthew Tkachuk tops the list
1. Flames and Panthers make win-win deal
Matthew Tkachuk informed the Calgary Flames he had no intent to sign longterm. It was just another crushing blow for GM Brad Treliving, who just had to watch Johnny Gaudreau leave for the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency
When life gives you lemons as the say…
The Flames shipped Tkachuk off to the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Jonathan Huberdeau, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Panthers immediately signed Tkachuk to an 8-year deal worth $76 million (AAV $9.5M) and the Flames would extend Huberdeau for 8 years with an AAV of $10.5 million.
Tkachuk, 24, registered a career-high 104 points on the strength of 42 goals in 82 games last season. He has 382 career points in 431 games since he joined the Flames, who selected him sixth overall in the 2016 draft.
Huberdeau, 29, scored a career-best 115 points in 80 games last season while matching his career high of 30 goals. He has 613 points (198 goals, 415 assists) in 10 NHL seasons, all with the Panthers.
Weegar, 28, established career bests with eight goals, 36 assists and 44 points in 80 games last season. He has 121 points (27 goals, 94 assists) in five-plus seasons, all with Florida.
2. Senators land Alex DeBrincat
The Ottawa Senators had a great offseason but trading for forward Alex DeBrincat was the best of their moves. In exchange, they sent to Chicago their 7th overall pick and a second-round pick in the 2022 draft plus a third-round selection in 2024.
DeBrincat, 24, has another year left on his deal at a reasonable $6.4 million cap hit. This past season, he set a career high in points with 78 and matched his career high for goals with 41.
He will be an RFA with arbitration rights next summer.
For his career, he’s amassed 307 points in 368 career games since being drafted in the second round in 2016 by the Blackhawks.
3. Kings get Kevin Fiala
When the Los Angeles Kings acquired pending RFA forward Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild it was a signal this team was moving away from rebuilding towards contention. In exchange, the Kings sent their 2022 first-round pick (19th overall) and prospect Brock Faber to the Wild.
The Kings then quickly signed Fiala to a 7-year deal with an AAV of $7.875M and a full no-trade clause in seasons 2-4. It then becomes modified with for the final three years of the deal.
Fiala, 25, scored 85 points in 82 games this past season. His status as a pending RFA on July 13 and Minnesota’s cap crunch forced their hand into a move.
4. Senators get better in net with Cam Talbot
Just one day after trading Matt Murray to the Toronto Maple Leafs for future considerations, Sens GM Pierre Dorion made sure to get a true number one.
The Ottawa Senators acquired Cam Talbot from the Minnesota Wild for fellow netminder Filip Gustavsson.
Talbot, 35, went 32-12-4 in 2021-22, his second year in Minnesota, with a .911 save percentage and a 2.76 goals-against average.
“I’m excited about the move. They already had a good young core and they made some good moves at the draft and have the space to still make a splash the next couple days,” Talbot said. “Looking forward to joining the group and helping to lead them back to the playoffs.”
Gustavsson, 24, saw action in 27 games over two years with the Senators, starting 23. He is 10-13-3 with a .905 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average for his career.
5. Predators add champion in Ryan McDonagh
The Nashville Predators acquired Ryan McDonagh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash in pure cap savings move ($4.2 million to be exact).
McDonagh, 33, spent parts of five seasons with the Lightning, helping them to two Stanley Cup titles (2020, 2021).
He has four seasons left on a seven-year, $47.25 million contract he signed with Tampa Bay on July 1, 2018. He has a no-trade clause that will carry over to the Predators.
McDonagh recorded 26 points (four goals, 22 assists) in 71 games this past season. He has 337 points (71 goals, 266 assists) in 783 career games with the Rangers and Lightning.
Myers, 25, collected four points (one goal, three assists) in 27 games with Nashville.
He has totaled 33 points (seven goals, 26 assists) in 142 career games with the Philadelphia Flyers and Predators.
Mismash, 23, posted 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 57 games last season with Milwaukee of the American Hockey League.
Honorable Mention: Brent Burns heads to the Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes acquired defenseman Brent Burns from the San Jose Sharks in the offseason to bolster their blue-line. They also received Lane Pederson from the Sharks in exchange for fellow center Steven Lorentz, goaltending prospect Eetu Makiniemi and a conditional 2023 3rd-round pick.
The Sharks are retained 33 percent of Burns’ $8 million cap hit in the trade.
Burns, 37, has three seasons remaining on the eight-year, $64 million contract he signed in November 2016. He recorded 54 points (10 goals, 44 assists) in 82 games last season.
A 2016-17 Norris Trophy recipient as the NHL’s top defenseman, Burns has totaled 777 points (227 goals, 550 assists) in 1,251 career games with the Minnesota Wild and Sharks.
Pederson, 24, had two assists in 29 games last season with the Sharks.
Lorentz, 26, totaled 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 67 games in 2021-22 with the Hurricanes.
Makiniemi, 23, posted an 11-2-1 record with a 2.06 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in 14 games last season with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.
