When it came out that Tkachuk wouldn't be signing a long-term contract with Calgary, the Blues were immediately seen as a favorite to get him. Tkachuk has roots in St. Louis dating back to his father, Keith Tkachuk, who of course spent a good chunk of his career with the Blues. Matthew had a shortlist of teams he was willing to sign long-term for and ultimately the Flames liked the package Florida was offering the best. “I don’t really know the answer to that, if I’m being honest,” Tkachuk said when asked if he ever got close to being traded to St. Louis. “I had a handful of teams that I was interested in, and after talking to Florida more and more, I realized that that was probably the best option for me. They were the team that probably made the biggest push at the end, and they ended up getting a deal. It happened really fast with Florida, so I don’t even know how close anybody else really got.”

What that means is that Tkachuk actually technically signed his eight-year, $76 million contract with the Calgary Flames, but he did so with the understanding that he would be immediately traded to Florida. If you're wondering why they'd do it that way and not simply trade Tkachuk to Florida, who would then sign with his new team, there's a simple explanation: The eighth year on the contract. Because Tkachuk played for the Flames, they were the only team allowed to offer him an eight-year deal. If he had been traded to Florida without signing first, then the Panthers would initially only be able to offer him a seven-year contract. This rule about eight-year and seven-year contract term limits dates back to the 2013 CBA, but this is the first time that rule has led to a sign-and-trade in the NHL.

The Panthers then signed Tkachuk to an eight-year, $76 million contract. Tkachuk had 42 goals and 104 points in 82 games last season and he has a physical element to his game, so there's no question that the 24-year-old forward is among the most valuable players in the league. However, for Florida to give up Huberdeau, who is an amazing forward in his own right, in addition to other assets to make this trade happen is going to raise some questions. It's worth remembering though that Huberdeau only has one season left on his contract and then he'll become an unrestricted free agent, so that likely weighed down his trade value. Thanks to the extension Tkachuk agreed to, they now have confidence that he'll fit into Florida's long-term plans.

Tkachuk has reportedly informed the Calgary Flames of his intentions. Calgary has already gone the route of club-elected arbitration with him, which means that Tkachuk can no longer field offer sheets and the arbitrator will assign him a one-year contract with the Flames if the two sides don't agree to a deal prior to the arbitrator's judgment. However, Tkachuk can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, so all he has to do is play one more season for the Flames and then he gets to decide where he plays. With that in mind, Calgary will probably look to trade Tkachuk, especially after they just lost Johnny Gaudreau for nothing on the UFA market.