Report: Tkachuk won't sign with Flames long term
Matthew Tkachuk informed the Calgary Flames that he won't sign a long-term deal with the club, sources told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford and Hailey Salvian.
The restricted free-agent forward hasn't officially asked for a trade, but a move is now likely to happen, Rutherford and Salvian add.
Tkachuk reportedly provided the Flames with a list of teams he'd sign a long-term contract with, which included the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, and Dallas Stars.
The Flames filed for club-elected salary arbitration with Tkachuk on Monday, making him ineligible to sign an opposing team's offer sheet. It also means he can no longer sign his $9-million qualifying offer.
The deadline to accept qualifying offers is July 22, and arbitration hearings are being held between July 27 and Aug. 11. Filing for arbitration gives the Flames more time to negotiate a deal for the 24-year-old, which would involve a sign-and-trade or moving his rights. His hearing is set for Aug. 11, but Calgary is expected to trade Tkachuk beforehand, one source told Rutherford and Salvian.
If Tkachuk goes through an arbitrator, he would be awarded a one-year deal that can't be worth less than $9 million, according to CapFriendly.
The New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders have also previously expressed interest in Tkachuk.
A St. Louis native, Tkachuk's father, Keith, spent about half of his 18-year NHL career with the Blues.
Tkachuk earned himself a handsome payday after potting a career-high 42 goals and 62 assists in 82 games this past season. His 104 points ranked second on the team.
The Flames selected Tkachuk sixth overall in the 2016 draft and he has 382 points in 431 career games.
It appears more than likely that Tkachuk will follow ex-teammate Johnny Gaudreau south of the border. Gaudreau left the Flames in free agency and inked a seven-year, $68.25-million deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Flames finished atop the Pacific Division with a sparkling 50-21-11 record. The Edmonton Oilers eliminated Calgary in the second round of the playoffs.