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Tkachuk Says Desire to Leave Flames Unrelated to Gaudreau Exit

Matthew Tkachuk spoke of his move to Florida and was thankful for the time in Calgary. He said his leaving had nothing to do with Gaudreau.

In a post-trade interview with Sportsnet, Matthew Tkachuk offered up an explanation for deciding to leave the Calgary Flames and move on to the next chapter of his NHL career in Florida. Saying his decision had nothing to do with Johnny Gaudreau leaving the Flames just days earlier, Tkachuk said it wasn’t until he started talking with teams during the RFA window that he knew it was time to move on.

Tkachuk is proud of the fact he gave the Flames plenty of time to make a move to send him to the Panthers, in what many are calling a tremendous return. He’s also thankful for his time in Calgary. But he also got the chance to explore his options and he decided that another destination was calling him.

Related: Matthew Tkachuk Traded to Florida Panthers For Massive Return

Tkachuk said, “There’s no single reason why I left. At the end of the day, I wanted to re-evaluate where I’m at, and after talking to a few teams I did that, and kind of came down to that conclusion.” He added that his decision to take a bridge deal three years ago was intentional, simply so he could have the option to see what was out there. It wasn’t as though he knew he wanted to leave the Flames, but it was his desire to put himself in a position to make this decision at this age with his latest contract.

Matthew Tkachuk Calgary Flames
Matthew Tkachuk Calgary Flames

Tkachuk said that the idea of playing with the Panthers is exciting. They’re a good team and living in Florida has its advantages. He’s excited about the eight-year deal and potentially finishing his career as a member of the Panthers. This wasn’t about Calgary, or about Gaudreau leaving. He said, “it was time to look elsewhere.” When the Panthers made a hard push right out of the gates, he knew he’d made the right decision. It was in talking to teams and his exploring the market that he knew. “It all changed then.”

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