The risk is there that he leaves as a UFA if he decides to play hardball. I mean, no GM is going to allow that to happen, but the risk is there.
If Treliving can't extend him this off-season (after UFA day, whichever day it falls on now), then I would hope he trades him. I am more worried about Tkachuk's deal than I am about Gaudreau's deal. It better be well under 9 million, however.
Also, he needs to stop with his antics. Everyone talks about how Tkachuk "Drags his teammates into war" - yeah, he absolutely does. Is that really a good thing? Sure it is - maybe in the playoffs or against your main rivals. However, does a team - especially a team like Calgary without much toughness in their top 6 (Tkachuk is the toughest in the top 6, which may be a problem in and of itself) - do well when they are going to 'war' every game on an 82 game series? Dragging your teammates into war means that the other team looks at it as a war, and thus plays those games harder too. Doesn't that set you at a disadvantage? Every other team has some 'easy games' when it isn't too physical, and the other team doesn't exactly hate to lose to you. They may hate to lose, but they don't hate losing against you. That changes with Tkachuk. Suddenly no team wants to lose to the Flames specifically.
At first, I kind of took Tkachuk's side in that player's only meeting where they told him to tone it down. However, they do have a point after all. Why go to war every game in an 82 game season? If Treliving can find bigger, faster and meaner players to play throughout the entire lineup, not just the bottom 6 (and moving Ritchie to the top 6 does NOT count), then maybe.
I am ok with Tkachuk being traded. I am ok with anyone being traded. I do think that Tkachuk's deal was worrisome when it was signed, and it is just more worrisome as time goes by.
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