Tkachuk could have filed for salary arbitration and would have gotten more than his qualifying offer which means he never intended to take his qualifying offer in the first place. The Flames knew he would hold out into the season (he's a Tkachuk) and they put a hard deadline on that. Matthew is far more ruthless than his brother and even gave him advice during his dealings. I don't see it as being any more complicated than this and it's a very business savvy move on Treliving's part.
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