Quote:
Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers
Yeah, the Tkachuk sign and trade was a one off. And I know there are lots of issues with how the return was handled… but holy #### are we ever lucky we got that return.
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I'm plugging the Athletic a lot, but this is a bit of an inside read on that trade and shows it was a really different circumstance than the Hanifin trade:
https://theathletic.com/3625254/2022...berdeau-trade/
Tkachuk was still an RFA for that next season and a true superstar, and both of those things played a big part in why Calgary got such a good deal. He would have had to play a full year with wherever he was traded, and he was looking to sign a long term contract with the team that traded for him (and not just one team).
"Tkachuk: Wherever I was going, I wanted to be there for as long as possible."
He wouldn't have signed long term with every team, but Tkachuk gave the Flames a list of teams where he would sign, and Zito knew that he Florida wasn't the only destination where he would go, so he was very motivated to trade for this player.
Unlike Hanifin, Tkachuk wasn't limiting his options, so instead of negotiating against the Flames like what it appears Hanifin's agent did, Tkachuk's agent negotiated for the Flames to get him to a city where he wanted to play long term.
Still, I agree that the return was exceptional for an RFA, regardless of Huberdeau's contract and how he's played.