Flames file for club-elected salary arbitration with Tkachuk

The Calgary Flames filed for club-elected salary arbitration with restricted free-agent winger Matthew Tkachuk on Monday.

As the Flames noted, Tkachuk is now ineligible to be signed to an offer sheet by an opposing team.

Tkachuk also can't accept his $9-million qualifying offer now, according to PuckPedia. The deadline to do so is July 22, but arbitration hearings are being held between July 27 and Aug. 11. So filing for arbitration gives the Flames more time to potentially negotiate a longer-term deal with Tkachuk.

If the two sides end up requiring an arbitration hearing, the Flames - because they filed in the second window - must offer a salary equal to or exceeding his $9-million qualifying offer.

If Tkachuk ends up signing a one-year deal, he'll be an unrestricted free agent following the 2022-23 campaign. If he intends to test the open market, the Flames may be forced to trade him.

The 24-year-old has established himself as one of the game's premier power forwards since being drafted sixth overall by Calgary in 2016. Tkachuk recorded 42 goals and 104 points while playing all 82 games in 2021-22. He finished 14th in Hart Trophy voting and was a second-team All-Star.

The Flames have plenty of salary flexibility following the departure of Johnny Gaudreau. They currently have $18.5 million in projected cap space with a roster of 18 players, per CapFriendly. However, in addition to Tkachuk, Andrew Mangiapane and Oliver Kylington are both RFAs, and each filed for arbitration on Sunday.

If Tkachuk signs a maximum-length eight-year contract, Evolving-Hockey projects he would earn a cap hit of $11.27 million.