Rumor: Gaudreau gone and Tkachuk wants out due to Canada's overly strict mandates and restrictions

Last night the Calgary Flames announced that they have filed for a salary arbitration hearing with unsigned RFA forward Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames themselves made the announcement saying that arbitration "provides us the opportunity to continue to work with his representatives towards a contractual resolution while removing the possibility of an offer sheet."

For those unfamiliar with salary arbitration, it's essentially a mediation process in cases where two sides can't agree on a fair salary. To me, this indicates that the Flames and Tkachuk's representation are far apart in negotiations. Well, far apart enough where salary arbitration seems like a good idea to the Flames. If I'm a Flames fan that's giving me SERIOUS cause for concern.

In fact, Flames insider Eric Francis went so far as to say that Tkachuk's “days in Calgary are over.”

More from Francis:

Less than a week after losing Johnny Gaudreau, the team now very much appears on the brink of having to part with Matthew Tkachuk.

That’s the most reasonable way to interpret news late Monday that the Flames have filed to take Tkachuk to salary arbitration.

In all likelihood, Tkachuk has indicated to the Flames what many have feared for years — that he isn’t interested in extending his stay in Calgary.

Flames GM Brad Treliving politely refused comment on the move when contacted by Sportsnet, but the reality is clear: if Tkachuk isn’t willing to sign for more than one year, he has to be traded.

- Eric Francis

After losing star forward Johnny Gaudreau to free agency, the last thing the Flames need is to alienate and possibly lose Tkachuk, as well.  And here's the thing... more than a few insiders and analysts have speculated that list of star players wanting to leave Canadian markets will only grow as players grow tired of the constant threat of living under government mandates and regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Former Flames defenseman turned hockey pundit Mike Commodore has openly stated that Gaudreau left the Flames because he and his family were sick of "endless lockdowns, restrictions, mandates, vax passport and curfews."

There's also speculation that Vancouver Canucks forward JT Miller would prefer to be moved to an American market, as well. And just wait until a year from now when Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews' contract is up... that's when things could really get interesting.

Now whether it's true or not that players are abandoning Canadian markets due to the country's handling of COVID-19, you can't deny that it has an effect on things either way. I'm sure there are players who appreciated the way Canada handled the pandemic, especially when compared to how it was handled in the United States. And, of course, there will also be dissenting opinions... that's how life works. It just sucks if you're a Flames fan and you're caught in the middle and now you're seeing your team's two best players leave because of government policies that are completely outside of the team's control.