That's a couple of big wrenches thrown into the machine this off-season so far!
I honestly thought that Tkachuk would have been easier to re-sign with this latest move - that it was a good sign that the Flames were going to re-sign him actually. With all the media that is closest to the Flames talking about Tkachuk being traded, well, I guess that's not the case.
3 options - one of them is the least likely:
1) Package of futures - picks and prospects, plus any dead salary back to make the cap work. Flames might as well rebuild.
OR
2) Package of 1 good established player, pick + prospect - it all depends on how good that established player is. Can the Flames realistically compete?
OR
3) Superstar for superstar - very rare. When was the last one? Arguably Seth Jones for Ryan Johansen? Was that really the last one? This is not likely as it usually takes a 'change of scenery' type for a 'change of scenery type', but who knows. Maybe Treliving can pull a rabbit out of a hat. Flames figure out the cap space, sign another couple of players or two (and their own RFAs of course) and start the season trying to compete.
Maybe I am missing something. At this point, my own needle is being pushed even further into the rebuild zone.
As for Treliving having responsibility for this off-season - of course he has. Why? Simply because this is his watch. I didn't agree with people who were saying: "Treliving is a bystander, as this Flames' success is all about Sutter". Treliving was the GM of the team and deserved the accolades. He is still the GM and of course he deserves the criticism. Whatever the outcome, there are always going to be people that argue "What if's". There is no picking and choosing about when to blame the GM for the team sucking, or when to praise the GM for when the team is doing well. Both times he is 100% deserving of it.
What worries me at the moment is that this is fairly late into the free agent season. Lots of teams have already made their plans, and have adjusted their teams and cap space. Plus, if we are all talking about how Tkachuk is really intent on playing in St. Louis, then perhaps there will be some GMs out there that will also view him as a rental only, and their packages will reflect that.
Hopefully if Tkachuk is traded, the Flames can facilitate a contract extension (especially a 'sign and trade' if a team values the 8th year). That would be something. Unlikely, but definitely the best option in trying to extract value in a trade.
This off-season may be disappointing so far (and knock on wood that it doesn't stay that way), but it sure is damn interesting.