Look back at first 2 years of the Matthew Tkachuk trade.

It has been two years since the Calgary Flames traded Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, so how has the perception of that deal changed over the course of time?

When the deal was struck it looked like an incredible piece of work on the part of what was then Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving, trading from a position of weakness and acquiring a pair of very talented players and a high end draft pick in exchange for a player that had made it clear he had no intention of re-signing with the Flames.

The return for the Flames was described by many as a monster haul on the part of Treliving who was widely praised for the deal, but it feels like that narrative has shifted drastically since that time.

Recently David R of the FLA Cats Hockey Podcast did an excellent job of breaking down just how much Matthew Tkachuk has brought to the Florida Panthers since they acquired him.

Since joining the Florida Panthers, Matthew Tkachuk has accumulated the following:

Regular season:
159 games played
66 goals
131 assists
197 points
211 PIM
+48
8 game winning goals
Hart Trophy Finalist 
All Star Game MVP 

Playoffs:
44 games played
17 goals
29 assists
46 points
105 PIM
+12
6 game winning goals
2 Eastern Conference Championships
1 Stanley Cup

A look at the big piece going the other way in this trade, Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau, sadly paints a nearly opposite portrait of the one David laid out for Matthew Tkachuk. Huberdeau was coming off of a career season in a contract year at the time of the trade, scoring 30 goals and adding 85 assists for a whopping 115 points over just 80 games played, but has shown none of that after signing a massive contract with the Calgary Flames.

Since joining the Calgary Flames, Jonathan Huberdeau has accumulated the following:

Regular season:
160 games played
27 goals
80 assists
107 points
85 PIM
-27
3 game winning goals

The Flames of course have had no playoff appearances since Huberdeau joined the team.

If you were to look at the pure 1 to 1 comparison of the two best players in this deal it looks extremely unfavorable for the Flames, but it is important to remember that the Flames also acquired two additional assets in this trade. Although Huberdeau has struggled since joining the Flames, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar has looked solid, even as much of the Flames defensive depth around him was traded away last season.

Since joining the Calgary Flames, MacKenzie Weegar has accumulated the following:

Regular season:
163 games played
24 goals
59 assists
83 points
94 PIM
+17

Weegar helps this deal look a lot more palatable for the Flames but unfortunately the first round pick they received in the deal may end up in the hands of the Montreal Canadiens as a part of the Sean Monahan trade, there are a bunch of conditions attached to both trades that I won't get into here.

Looking purely at the result it is very hard to argue that the Panthers did not emerge as the victors in this deal with 2 Eastern Conference Championships and a Stanley Cup to show for it. Additionally Huberdeau's cap hit of $10.5 million for the next 7 years could become an albatross for the Flames in the future if he continues to struggle in Calgary, or even begins to decline at 31 years of age.

What once looked like a huge win for the Calgary Flames and a shining moment in Brad Treliving's tenure as general manager for that organization is quickly losing much of its luster.