The craziest trade of the salary cap era just unfolded tonight.
The Florida Panthers shocked the world in the wee hours of Friday night, acquiring superstar forward Matthew Tkachuk in exchange for another superstar forward in Jonathan Huberdeau along with defenseman Mackenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt, and a 2025 first-round pick.
Immediately following the trade, Tkachuk and the Panthers then agreed to terms on an eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $9.5 million that will tie Tkachuk to Florida through the 2029-30 season.
It’s truly difficult to put into words how explosive this move is.
Tkachuk and Huberdeau were both Hart Trophy candidates last season, each topping 100 points in 2021-22, and were now just traded for each other in a deal that has shaken the very fabric of the league.
Somehow, Calgary managed to take a dire situation and turn it into an opportunity to improve, adding arguably the best playmaker in the NHL, a top-four defender, a decent prospect, and a first-round draft pick to their organization in exchange for a player that had already told them his future lay elsewhere.
The only downside is the contract status of both roster pieces, as Huberdeau and Weegar have one year remaining on their respective deals before hitting free agency. Now, the Flames will need to spend the upcoming season convincing them to do what Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau ultimately would not.
Meanwhile, in Florida, the Panthers nab a legitimate star-caliber forward coming off a 104-point season who is just entering his prime, locking him in for the better part of the next decade at a cap hit that, as the salary cap recovers from its COVID stagnation, will look better by the year.
These types of trades simply don’t happen in the all-too-conservative NHL — and especially not in a flat-cap era.
But, here we are. What a sight to behold.