Matthew Tkachuk reveals he nearly went to two other teams before joining the Panthers

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Tom Banks
September 10, 2023 (8:17)

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The Calgary Flames shocked the NHL world last summer when they moved Matthew Tkachuk to Florida in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, and now, the superstar winger has finally opened up on the process.

A big time deal

While Tkachuk was full of praise for his time in Calgary, it's clear that the relationship needed to end, and according to No. 19, the team were gracious during the process.

I felt very lucky because I basically was a UFA.

According to Tkachuk, the team allowed him to talk to other teams, giving him the sense of being a UFA, especially as he was looking to sign a long-term deal upon arrival, ultimately finding himself in Florida.

Two other finalists

In the interview, Tkachuk also revealed the two finalists alongside the Panthers, with both the Blues and the Hurricanes being considered until the final moments.

With their permission, I was allowed to basically for one week talk to, you know, other teams and figure it out, obviously with their permission and everythingthe three final teams were Florida, Carolina, and St. Louis.

It appears as though Tkachuk landed in the perfect spot for himself, as he led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first year with the team, and now, he'll look to take the next final step now that he's locked in for eight more years in Florida.

As Read on Blade of Steel - Matthew Tkachuk breaks his silence on being traded, admitted he almost went to 3 other teams