Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinny01
I could be wrong but weren’t you one of those people? You were screaming to the high heavens in 2021 this team had no elite talent (including Tkachuk and Gaudreau) and needed to tear it down.
I feel like Tkachuk was absolutely beloved in 2019/20. The Kassian thing ignited and we won the 2 games where it was a big deal. He fought Wheeler after the Schiefele incident and many sympathized with him when he was losing his mind when the team blew a 3-0 lead in game 6 against Dallas.
20/21 there was definitely a lot of hate/shade being thrown his way by the fans.
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And 20/21 was when the rumors of him demanding a trade, not being happy with his teammates, and not being happy with how Sutter used him that season first came up.
The reason Tkachuk isn't a Flame today isn't because the fanbase, or even the organization soured on him.
The fanbase still loved him and his family last season during the season and playoffs.
The organization was still likely willing to give him the same $84M deal that Huberdeau got, and he likely would have eventually been captain.
It was Tkachuk that decided he didn't want to be a Flames player anymore. And honestly I think that narrative is being overlooked now. The org didn't choose to cut ties with him, he wanted to leave.
Could the Flames have gotten a different/better return? Maybe, would love to know what the rest of the Carolina package was.
Is there a world where Tkachuk is still a Flame? Probably not, and that was his choice.