The Calgary Flames exited the NHL’s return-to-play bubble in disastrous fashion. After building up an early 3-0 lead in Game 6, the Flames allowed seven unanswered goals and were unceremoniously booted in a 7-3 loss. While making long-term, franchise-defining decisions based on a single loss is almost always a foolish idea, there seems to be growing momentum in Calgary for change. Rightly or wrongly, people are skeptical that the current core is good enough to get ‘it’ done.

Because of that, social media has been ablaze with speculation of what the Flames might do. Names like Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan have been mainstays in the rumor mill since almost immediately after the loss. HockeyBuzz’s own Todd Cordell recently suggested that Mark Giordano could be a name worth moving. Simply: The list of names being floated is long, and it’s full of big-name players.

So, where do the Ottawa Senators fit into this equation? Well, maybe it opens the door to a remote possibility of a Tkachuk reunion. Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk is one player whose name hasn’t really shown up in the rumors and social media chatter, but, if the Flames are truly set on blowing things up, it might still be worth the time for Pierre Dorion to pick up the phone.

Much like his brother Brady, Matthew is the kind of player you love to see on your team, but hate to play against. He plays the game on the edge, and has crossed it on more than a few occasions. Combined with his proven ability to be a 60-plus-point player, that sort of tenacity makes Matthew a very special player. To get an even better sense of the impact that he brings on a nightly basis, consider this widely-read Travis Yost article from earlier in the season: https://www.tsn.ca/tkachuck-brothers-brady-and-matthew-proving-to-be-exceptional-teammates-1.1399668

What becomes clear after looking at Matthew’s stat profile is that the Flames would be crazy to move him, even after having to put up with a contract holdout that saw him ink a three-year, $21-million extension in late 2019. But, again, there’s no harm in Dorion picking up the phone to check in with Brad Treliving. Crazier things have happened; teams coming off emotional playoff losses have been known to make rash, ill-fated decisions.

The bottom line: Do I expect the Senators to go out and acquire Matthew Tkachuk this offseason? No. Do I think there’s even a semi-realistic chance of it happening? No. However, with speculation about Calgary’s potential rebuild all over the news, is it fun to dream and discuss? You bet. So, make your pitch. If you were Pierre Dorion, what does the offer you’re making to Treliving look like?

As always, thanks for reading.

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