Pat Steinberg: Matthew Tkachuk is likely in line for a bounce back season

[Hey Connor, It's Mess]

I'm going to throw this out there for discussion since I actually don't know the validity of it, but Tkachuk has always seemed to be a player who feeds off the crowd- whether it's the home crowd behind him or the opposing building getting on him. I wonder what extent this plays into his success given he's a very emotional player. His best games usually come when the energy is ramped up and that has dated back to his OHL days. There's no replacement for that atmosphere regardless of how much fake crowd noise the NHL pumps into the buildings. I will concede every player has had to contend with this and it may not be unique to him. Hell, some players may be doing better without the pressure of fans.

I'm not saying for a second it's the sole reason - or even a large reason - why his play has declined. However, pairing that idea with the supposed dressing room rift from earlier in the season and I can't help but wonder how much of the emotion he usually thrives on has been sucked out of his game.

Regardless of what is or isn't affecting his play this season, I still believe he is a huge piece for this team moving forward. I'd be pretty choked to see him moved this off-season and he's as good a candidate as any to have a bounce back year.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

What makes this even harder to take is how good Brady looks right now. Like a bona fide franchise changing player. Gordie Howe hat trick tonight.

But sure cue up Matthew’s stats in the early years v Brady.

Well, yeah. History seems fairly significant given the fact that up to just this year M. Tkachuk has outproduced his younger brother at the same age in every other season. He is having an awful year, but I think it is a mistake to project his future on the basis of arguably the worst season of his professional career.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[Icantwhisper]

Well if I've learned anything, the off season projections are always for players to have career years

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

He is having an awful year, but I think it is a mistake to project his future on the basis of arguably tbd worst season of his professional career.

I think we also need to take into account that his teammates all had terrible years as well during arguably the worst season in franchise history. When a team sucks this badly, it's obviously going to have a negative effect on each individual player.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by direwolf

I think we also need to take into account that his teammates all had terrible years as well during arguably the worst season in franchise history. When a team sucks this badly, it's obviously going to have a negative effect on each individual player.

Be this as it may, he does not even seem to be responding positively to the new coach.

If I am the Flames, I am not so concerned about his ability to have a better season (especially in a contract year), I am more concerned about his character and interest in bringing his best for his team.

And my concern would be how you even figure that out. Perhaps his word behind closed doors is more meaningful than his word in public, but there is a disappointing trend there in terms of a gap between his talk and his action

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Be this as it may, he does not even seem to be responding positively to the new coach.

If I am the Flames, I am not so concerned about his ability to have a better season (especially in a contract year), I am more concerned about his character and interest in bringing his best for his team.

And my concern would be how you even figure that out. Perhaps his word behind closed doors is more meaningful than his word in public, but there is a disappointing trend there in terms of a gap between his talk and his action

I just don't think this is true.

March 11th onward (Sutter Era 2.0)

CF%: 57.00 (6th on team)
SF%: 56.12 (6th on team)
GF%:: 54.55 (7th on team)
xGF%: 58.46 (3rd on team)
SCF%: 55.86 (5th on team)
HDCF%: 58.62 (7th on team)

Most of the players ahead of him are guys like Kylington, Robinson, Leivo, Nordstrom, and Ryan - guys who have either not played much, or who have been pretty much perfect from a defensive perspective.

The shooting percentage while he's on the ice is not great though - 7.69%, good for 13th on the team.

Yeah - Tkachuk needs to be better, especially to earn that next big contract. There's been a lot of negativity towards him because...well there's a lot of negativity towards everyone, but even as down as he is I'd say he, Lindholm, and Mangiapane are the only reasons for optimism at this point. Tkachuk is really the only one playing to a high level under Sutter, but the on-ice "bounces" have certainly not gone his way.

Tkachuk is part of the solution.

Gaudreau, Monahan and Backlund should be fired into the sun...although it could certainly be argued that Backlund should only be sent to the Moon, as he's the closest to keeping his head above water.

Sean Monahan is quickly approaching Troy Brouwer levels of bad. I'd want to distance myself from Monahan at this stage. He's first on the list to be sent out of town from my perspective, and I'm not even concerned about the return very much. It's not just this season, issues have been evident with Monahan for a while - but Gaudreau just happened to be able to help him outscore the woes.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Yes, I have seen the team stats from when he is on the ice

I am more referring to the way he takes the puck in the corner and easily gives it up, the lack of compete around the net. He’s not even doing those stupid hits where he goes in spine first

There is something off. I’m surprised you don’t see it

And supposing a guy has quit on his team, well, if he is part of the solution, you may not be solving the right problem

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Yes, I have seen the team stats from when he is on the ice

I am more referring to the way he takes the puck in the corner and easily gives it up, the lack of compete around the net. He’s not even doing those stupid hits where he goes in spine first

There is something off. I’m surprised you don’t see it

I do see it.

He needs to be oodles amounts of better going forward. I think the media may actually have something with the whole Muzzin/Toronto ordeal, I'm actually buying into there being locker room problems (and I hope the "Tkachuk side" is the one who wins).

Chucky is definitely off, but at least while he's on the ice he isn't cratering the team like other key players - who also happen to be older. I think this organization should lean into Tkachuk, Hanifin, Lindholm and Mangiapane, and away from the old guard of Giordano, Monahan, Backlund and (to a lesser degree) Gaudreau. I think the vote of confidence in the new guard will help all of them next season.

[Stanley]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I do see it.

He needs to be oodles amounts of better going forward. I think the media may actually have something with the whole Muzzin/Toronto ordeal, I'm actually buying into there being locker room problems (and I hope the "Tkachuk side" is the one who wins).

Chucky is definitely off, but at least while he's on the ice he isn't cratering the team like other key players - who also happen to be older. I think this organization should lean into Tkachuk, Hanifin, Lindholm and Mangiapane, and away from the old guard of Giordano, Monahan, Backlund and (to a lesser degree) Gaudreau. I think the vote of confidence in the new guard will help all of them next season.

I'm completely on side with the "new guard"... If Monahan can continue with his face-off prowess and 200ft game I'd consider keeping him around as our #2 C.

[DeluxeMoustache]

So this is a season long extension of the temper tantrum from the Muzzin thing and that’s the guy you want as part of the solution?

Gaudreau with 10 points and +5 over his last 8 games is ‘cratering the team’

Tkachuk meanwhile has 3 assists and -1 over his last 10 . Well, sure he isn’t ‘cratering the team’, he’s just producing like a bottom 6 player despite being highest paid

This all when the team is trying to make the playoffs

We obviously have different opinions about this

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

So this is a season long extension of the temper tantrum from the Muzzin thing and that’s the guy you want as part of the solution?

Gaudreau with 10 points and +5 over his last 8 games is ‘cratering the team’

Tkachuk meanwhile has 3 assists and -1 over his last 10 . Well, sure he isn’t ‘cratering the team’, he’s just producing like a bottom 6 player despite being highest paid

This all when the team is trying to make the playoffs

We obviously have different opinions about this

I said to a lesser degree with Gaudreau. I was also looking at the entire Sutter window, not just the last 10 games.

Gaudreau has definitely shown his elite offensive prowess as of late, but all things considered (contract), it may be time to move on.

I think those arguing for the trading of Tkachuk are effectively arguing for a scorched earth approach…and I’m certainly not against that. If we’re going scorched earth, then yeah - burn it all down. That includes Gaudreau, all the way to Andersson and Hanifin.

[Redliner]

Trade him. And I say this as someone who has always loved what Tkachuk has brought to the team. Something seems really off with him. He is not the type of player that is going to be successful with a finesse game, yet constantly we see him going back to the cute, showboat-type play attempts. MT is a player who should be tailor made for Sutter hockey, yet we see his role being reduced since Darryl got here and to me that is telling that there is something bigger going on behind the scenes.

The other concern is that contract. That QO is all kinds of ugly, and quite frankly what Tkachuk brings to the table is not worth $9M+ per year. If he holds out again we could be looking at upwards of $10M per to sign him. That's more than Draisaitl, more than Crosby. (yes, I know Sid's deal is the bargain of the century but the point stands) For that kind of money you better be getting an elite game breaker who raises the play of everyone around him, and I haven't seen that from Tkachuk. I think the time to move him is now.

[transplant99]

Just bizarre the dislike for Tkachuk by some.

Terrible season this year for sure....which can be said for 90% of the players on this team.

But how does one ignore his average of 65 points a year his first 4 seasons, his ridiculous ability to get other teams guys off their games, the ability to draw more penalties than anyone else in the league, and his clear ability to drag his team into the game at times.....all before the age of 22?

Is his contract an issue? Not yet. And as such gives the club lots of time to figure out what the issue is before selling low on him this summer.

IMO he is the single most unlikely forward to be moved other than Lindholm.

Teams are thrilled to try and draft a guy like him year after year and hope he pans out.

Here though? Some "fans" want to personally drive him out of town because he's had a bad 50 games.

Just weird.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

So this is a season long extension of the temper tantrum from the Muzzin thing and that’s the guy you want as part of the solution?

Gaudreau with 10 points and +5 over his last 8 games is ‘cratering the team’

Tkachuk meanwhile has 3 assists and -1 over his last 10 . Well, sure he isn’t ‘cratering the team’, he’s just producing like a bottom 6 player despite being highest paid

This all when the team is trying to make the playoffs

We obviously have different opinions about this

This is a concern of mine as well.What happens if he decided not to show up just before the playoffs next season. To give him the benefit of the doubt I'd like to know if he has an injury?

[Strange Brew]

I'm speculating whether Tkachuk still wants be here and go to battle with these guys. For that reason alone, he's a candidate to be traded IMO.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Just bizarre the dislike for Tkachuk by some.

Terrible season this year for sure....which can be said for 90% of the players on this team.

But how does one ignore his average of 65 points a year his first 4 seasons, his ridiculous ability to get other teams guys off their games, the ability to draw more penalties than anyone else in the league, and his clear ability to drag his team into the game at times.....all before the age of 22?

Is his contract an issue? Not yet. And as such gives the club lots of time to figure out what the issue is before selling low on him this summer.

IMO he is the single most unlikely forward to be moved other than Lindholm.

Teams are thrilled to try and draft a guy like him year after year and hope he pans out.

Here though? Some "fans" want to personally drive him out of town because he's had a bad 50 games.

Just weird.

I wish I could thank this post more than once.

It is blowing my mind that many of the same fans that are demanding to “rebuild the right way” are the same ones who are done with Tkachuk at 23 because of a less than stellar 50 games where there are no fans in the building.

The tale of Tkachuk’s season is likely the most interesting story for me as it pertains to this team. He really tried to put pressure on himself and it seems like after the Toronto incident his teammates may have told him to tone it down and he has been lost since.

Reshaping this team and giving Tkachuk an offseason to reset will go a long way to him getting back on track to the player we thought he was on his way to becoming.

[DeluxeMoustache]

It’s not what he is capable of, that’s not in question

T99 - Nobody wants to see the player get ‘driven out of town’, the desired outcome is for him to be a reliable dependable professional who puts his work boots on and does the things that make him successful

But he isn’t doing that. He is the highest paid guy, and appears to have checked out. I don’t want to see a sulky half Tkachuk dragging his ass around and getting nothing done

If he decides that he will be a problem and doesn’t want to play his best here, he has to go

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I wish I could thank this post more than once.

It is blowing my mind that many of the same fans that are demanding to “rebuild the right way” are the same ones who are done with Tkachuk at 23 because of a less than stellar 50 games where there are no fans in the building.

The tale of Tkachuk’s season is likely the most interesting story for me as it pertains to this team. He really tried to put pressure on himself and it seems like after the Toronto incident his teammates may have told him to tone it down and he has been lost since.

Reshaping this team and giving Tkachuk an offseason to reset will go a long way to him getting back on track to the player we thought he was on his way to becoming.

So … you want to reward him for sulking?

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

So … you want to reward him for sulking?

How is he being rewarded? By not being traded?

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

It’s not what he is capable of, that’s not in question

T99 - Nobody wants to see the player get ‘driven out of town’, the desired outcome is for him to be a reliable dependable professional who puts his work boots on and does the things that make him successful

But he isn’t doing that. He is the highest paid guy, and appears to have checked out. I don’t want to see a sulky half Tkachuk dragging his ass around and getting nothing done

If he decides that he will be a problem and doesn’t want to play his best here, he has to go

He was an upper tier player the previous 4 seasons.

He has been "off" for 50 games.

Players, even young ones, have poor seasons. It happens.

Even including this year....since he entered the league he is a top 50 producer offensively in the entire NHL. Do you think that his drop off this year is because "he doesnt want to play his best"? Even when his entire history points to the complete opposite?

If we are gonna ship out every guy that has a bad season and chalk it up to "doesnt want to be here"....this club will be where so many seem to want them going forward...perpetually at the bottom.

Gaudreau has been "off" for more than 2 calendar years and people are clamoring for him to stay and some to even give him a raise. Yet he is very limited in what areas of the game he contributes, whereas MT can and has made a difference in every aspect of the game in seasons past.

Its just so odd to me what some people value over others in terms of players.