It’s officially the end of an era in Calgary with the departure of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk in less than two weeks. While Gaudreau made the heartbreaking decision to leave in free agency, Matthew Tkachuk knew his whereabouts and let management know that he would not be interested in a long-term extension in Calgary. With this in mind, it was clear a trade was needed and we even explored trade destinations on his rumored list in the last article. With all the pressure and no leverage, Brad Treliving pulled a rabbit out of a hat with one of the biggest trades in franchise history late Friday night.
Jonathan Huberdeau
Just last year, Jonathan Huberdeau had 115 points and was tied for third in the NHL with 30 goals and 85 assists. Huberdeau sacrifices defensive ability for his superstar offensive ability as one of the best passers in the entire sport. His ability to enter the zone with possession and make high-danger passes are elite in their own right, and will do wonders for Calgary’s rush game. Stylistically, Huberdeau is about as great of a replacement for Gaudreau as possible. With one year left at $5.9 million, the Flames have an absolute bargain on their hands for the upcoming year and I’d expect them to offer a large sum of money for Huberdeau to stay in Calgary long-term. Defense is an issue with Huberdeau, but a system like Sutter’s with lots of defensive forwards should allow Huberdeau to shine. After all, if Sutter can turn Erik Gudbranson into an okay defenseman, he can definitely add something to Huberdeau’s game.
Jonathan Huberdeau, traded to CGY, is a top-line winger and one of the best passers in the sport. Plays a high-tempo rush game that leads to plenty of chances (often at both ends of the ice.) #Flames pic.twitter.com/YNVokEQODY
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 23, 2022
MacKenzie Weegar
I feel that MacKenzie Weegar is a massively underrated part of this deal. Netting Huberdeau alone would’ve been great, but getting both is a slam dunk. Weegar really never got the attention he deserved in Flordia – he was an integral part of their rush game and their defense core, forming a pairing with Aaron Ekblad as one of the NHL’s finest. He immediately comes into a Calgary team as their best defenceman, giving them one of the strongest defensive cores in the NHL. His ability to defend against the rush will help, as a big problem against Edmonton in the 21-22 playoffs was that no one but Chris Tanev could stop Connor McDavid effectively. Look for Weegar to immediately step in as a top pairing defenceman for the Flames.
MacKenzie Weegar, traded to CGY, is an elite two-way defenceman who drives play at both ends of the ice at a level that very very few can equal. One of the best transition D - offensively and defensively - in the NHL. Commits the odd inopportune penalty or giveaway. #Flames pic.twitter.com/xST2G2XD33
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 23, 2022
Conclusion
Cole Schwindt and a first-round pick were also included in the deal, but aren’t much to write home about. Overall, this is an insane package for undoubtedly the best player in the deal, but the player doesn’t match the sum of its parts. The Flames won this deal indefinitely and will continue to win this deal if they can get one of or both of Huberdeau or Weegar signed to long-term deals.