Author Note: The original version of this article has been modified based on additional information. Upon publication, the interpretation of the podcast clip was that Blake Coleman was referring to Matthew Tkachuk as the player that wanted to extend in 2021. After subsequent listens and deliberation, it is not perfectly clear whether Coleman was referring to Tkachuk or Johnny Gaudreau. Without direct confirmation, we will be amending this article further to ensure information is not misconstrued further. We apologize to the players, media personnel, and readers who may have been misled.
If you are a fan of the Calgary Flames you probably aren’t loving the state of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs right now. You are either watching former players from the franchise contributing significantly to a deep post-season run or watching teams you despise have a chance at winning the cup. It’s a lose-lose situation in most cases.
One of those players who is having another postseason to remember is Matthew Tkachuk. After departing in the blockbuster deal nearly two years ago, Tkachuk has helped the Panthers win the most playoff games in the entire NHL. The Panthers are now just one win away from their second straight Stanley Cup Final, which just feels great.
What also feels amazing was Blake Coleman’s recent podcast appearance where he revealed that Tkachuk wanted to extend with the Flames the summer before he was traded. Don’t believe us? Take a look:
Big Brad Blunder
Coleman, who had signed with the team in the summer of 2021, was discussing the departures of both Johnny Gaudreau and Tkachuk just one year after his six-year free agency deal. On the Cam & Strick Podcast, he went into more detail about the events:
I had heard just kind of rumblings, you know frustration with how things had been with his relationship…you know the summer before he wanted to extend and all these things. I guess I knew it was a possibility…I think if Johnny stays, I don’t know that Chucky left…
You just have to love it. We previously had gone into what was maybe Brad Treliving’s worst mistake as the GM of the Flames; bridging Tkachuk to keep Michael Frolik, but this may top that.
The summer before, when the team could have extended both Gaudreau and Tkachuk, there was a lot of floundering on team direction. They just came off a disastrous shortened Canadian division season and no one knew what the team would be under Darryl Sutter.
Instead of extending the core players, Treliving went out and signed Coleman as well as Erik Gudbranson, Trevor Lewis, Brad Richardson, and Brett Ritchie while also extending Dillon Dube and Juuso Valimaki. As you can tell, a terrible use of salary cap and awful player management.
This is just yet another dagger in the heart of Flames fans.
