The summer of 2022 brought the hockey world one of the most consequential blockbusters in recent memory. The Carolina Hurricanes were directly involved, and it affected them almost as much as the two franchises that made the trade. It has caused almost nothing but heartbreak for Canes fans. However, we were dangerously close to seeing it play out a different way.
Almost four years to the day, on July 22, 2022, a bombshell was dropped involving the Calgary Flames and the Florida Panthers. Florida acquired Matthew Tkachuk and a 2025 fourth-round pick from Calgary for Jonathan Huberdeau, Mackenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a 2025 first-round pick. I remember being in Kansas City, MO, with my family and my jaw hitting the floor.
It had already been a tough few months for the Flames. After claiming the Pacific Division crown and winning a grueling seven-game series against Dallas, Calgary was quickly dispatched by the Edmonton Oilers in five games in the second round. Then, they lost leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau in free agency to Columbus. It felt like things were starting to fall apart.
The Panthers were in a similar boat. They won the Presidents' Trophy and the Atlantic Division, but they were swept in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning, ending their season with a whimper. The biggest difference was the direction they were going in. Calgary felt like they were in choppy waters. Florida was definitely on an upswing.
The return was immediately great for the Panthers. Tkachuk became one of the most important pieces of the puzzle in Sunrise, leading to three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final and two Cup wins in his first three seasons. The Canes know about that firsthand on two accounts. It allowed Florida to remain one of the best teams in the league when they're healthy.
Meanwhile, it has been disastrous for Calgary. Huberdeau's production dropped by 60 points in 2022-23 (115 to 55), and he's only finished with more than 60 points once in Calgary. Weegar scored 20 goals in 2023-24, but he was traded to Utah last year. Schwindt played four games, left for Vegas in 2024, and is back in Florida. They've missed the playoffs each year since the trade.
We knew the Hurricanes were interested in Tkachuk at that time, but Elliotte Friedman revealed on 32 Thoughts in June the reported package that the Hurricanes offered for him before the Panthers swooped in. The deal featured Martin Necas, because of course it did, Alexander Nikishin, Jake Gardiner, and one or two first-round picks. In hindsight, the Flames look a little foolish.
The trajectory of all three franchises in this story might've taken a serious turn if the Flames had accepted Carolina's offer, and that's what we're going to look at with our final "What if?". Do the Hurricanes see Stanley Cup success sooner? What happens to Florida without Tkachuk? How do the Flames factor out west?
The Flames' story might be a little easier to tell in the Pacific
The trade happened over a week after Gaudreau left for Columbus, so it's doubtful that bringing in Necas would've altered his decision to leave. At this point in his career, Necas had yet to break out, scoring 40 points in 2021-22, but it was coming. He led the Canes in scoring in 2022-23 with 71 points, but he disappeared in the playoffs.
The Flames were down two-thirds of the three-headed monster of a first line. Elias Lindholm was the only remaining player of the trio that scored 40 goals each. Pairing a young, skilled forward like Necas with him could've been a good fit, especially if he was destined to take the next steps. At that moment, Necas wasn't a better winger than Gaudreau or Tkachuk, but the potential was there.
Alexander Nikishin was still years away from making the jump to North America, but there's no doubt that he would've been an improvement over much of the Flames' current defensive core. Jake Gardiner was moved to make the money work out. The first-round pick(s) are a bit trickier since we don't know the year, but they would've been at the bottom of the round for sure.
Now, while the statement that the Flames have missed the playoffs since 2022 is correct, some context is needed. In 2023, they missed by two points. In 2025, they tied for the final spot but missed by one regulation win. They've knocked on the door a few times. Maybe Necas helps to get them over the finish line. Maybe he doesn't. In the Pacific Division, anything is possible.
The Eastern Conference would've looked completely different
Tkachuk followed up his 2021-22 performance by topping it in 2022-23, scoring 109 points, tied for sixth in the league. However, he took it a step further during the postseason. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Hurricanes, Tkachuk scored the overtime winners in Games 1 and 2 and the series-clinching tally in the final seconds of Game 4. In this new reality, that doesn't happen.
While he might not be the same type of player as Necas, Tkachuk brings something very different. He plays with an edge that makes him one of the biggest rats in the league. He definitely falls into that category of a player you hate unless he's on your team. He's struggled with some health issues, but he has been a point-per-game player for the last five years, regardless of his availability.
He can also be a versatile player in the lineup. Tkachuk can be put almost anywhere and be effective at even strength and on the power play. He's willing to run through anyone, even if it can be a bit distasteful at times. He's the type of competitor that many pundits felt the Hurricanes desperately needed. I guess it makes sense that they were very interested in him.
For all of his production during the regular season, Tkachuk is about as clutch a postseason performer as we've seen over the last few years. He's topped 20 points during all three of Florida's recent runs, and he has given the Canes fits during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023 and 2025. The Canes would've loved to have that on their side.
If the Panthers don't pull off the trade and keep Huberdeau, there's a chance that he keeps up a solid level of production. There's also a chance that he faces a similar decline. Regardless, I don't think Florida becomes a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference without Tkachuk. It opens the door for the Hurricanes to win the conference at some point during Florida's three-year reign.
Given how close this deal was to happening, the NHL might not have been the same if the Canes had pulled it off. The last four years, as we know them, would've transformed into something incredibly different. Maybe the Tkachuk brothers would've reunited in Raleigh, and the Stanley Cup probably would've visited a little sooner. Instead, our disdain for Tkachuk and the Panthers rages on.
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