Sabres GM: Flames' Tkachuk wasn't brought up in Eichel trade talks

Rumors swirled Wednesday night suggesting that the Calgary Flames were offering Matthew Tkachuk to the Buffalo Sabres as part of a deal for Jack Eichel.

After Buffalo traded Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said Tkachuk's name hadn't been floated in negotiations about a deal.

"It's not accurate. That was not correct in terms of players that were being tossed around," Adams said of the rumor involving Tkachuk, according to The Athletic's John Vogl. "That's an unfortunate thing when those types of reports go out."

The Flames were reportedly one of the final two teams in on Eichel alongside the Golden Knights.

Tkachuk told reporters Thursday that he hadn't taken the rumor seriously.

"I'm sure it's different for everybody, but I had a hard time believing it was true, so I went about my business like I normally do the night before the game to get prepared for tonight," the forward said, according to the Calgary Sun's Kristen Anderson.

He also confirmed that he talked to Flames general manager Brad Treliving on Wednesday night, but Tkachuk said he wanted to keep the contents of that conversation private.

Calgary selected Tkachuk with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. He's been one of the team's best players since making his debut, scoring 114 goals and adding 170 assists in 358 games. He's set to be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of this season.