NHL

Calgary Flames star Matthew Tkachuk has informed the team he doesn't intend to sign a new contract, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford and Hailey Salvian.

Rutherford and Salvian reported Tkachuk hasn't formally requested a trade but that one is "likely to happen soon" because of his position on a long-term deal.

The report said the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars are among his preferred destinations.

Tkachuk might be a restricted free agent, but Calgary doesn't have much recourse if he doesn't want to sign a multiyear pact.

The Flames announced Monday they filed for salary arbitration with Tkachuk. While that could result in a one-year deal, the final outcome would basically be the same. He either leaves via trade now, or he leaves later as an unrestricted free agent.

One of those scenarios is better for Calgary than the other.

Especially on the heels of Johnny Gaudreau's signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets, losing Tkachuk would be a huge blow. But the circumstances of Gaudreau's departure also provide one reason to take the best trade offer for the 24-year-old.

The Flames aren't in a totally advantageous position because everybody is aware of the conundrum in front of general manager Brad Treliving. But Tkachuk is so good that he should fetch a strong return.

The Arizona native totaled 104 points (42 goals and 62 assists) in 2021-22, and his production is unlikely to slow down. He can be a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

The cost to acquire Tkachuk will be high between the assets required for a trade and his next contract. But the investment should be more than worth it.

The Calgary Flames took a step toward ensuring left-winger Matthew Tkachuk remains on their team for the 2022-23 campaign.

"The Flames have filed for club-elected salary arbitration with Matthew Tkachuk," the team announced. "This provides us the opportunity to continue to work with his representatives towards a contractual resolution while removing the possibility of an offer sheet."

Tkachuk is a restricted free agent heading into the 2022-23 season, so this essentially gives the Flames exclusive negotiating rights as the offseason continues.

Bryan Murphy of Sporting News explained that while players can file for salary arbitration, teams can also take them to arbitration. The latter can only happen one time during a player's career, and said player can never receive less than 85 percent of his salary from the last season in such a scenario.

If the arbitration reaches a hearing, an arbitrator will determine the salary level. The Flames could then decline the decision, which would make Tkachuk an unrestricted free agent.

However, it should be noted that the two sides can continue to negotiate prior to a hearing, which seems to be the plan given Calgary's announcement.

Tkachuk has been with the Flames his entire time in the NHL and is coming off the best season of his career that saw him post 104 points on 62 assists and 42 goals with a plus-minus total of plus-57.

That the Flames already lost Johnny Gaudreau to the Columbus Blue Jackets this offseason makes the need to keep an offensive presence like Tkachuk all the more pressing.

He is just 24 years old, coming off the best season of his career and primed to take on an even bigger role as Calgary looks to take the next step from its second-round playoff appearance in 2022.

The team will likely be motivated to keep him during the upcoming negotiations.

Nazem Kadri's 2021-22 campaign was the most successful of his 13-year NHL career. He tallied 87 points (26 more than his previous best) in 71 regular-season games, then helped the Colorado Avalanche win their first Stanley Cup in 21 years.

After three seasons with the Avs, Kadri became an unrestricted free agent this summer as one of the top offensive players on the market. His stock was also quite high, considering how well he fared during the past season.

Yet, as a flurry of players signed with teams when free agency began on Wednesday, Kadri didn't ink a deal. It's now Sunday and he still hasn't.

Why not?

It doesn't appear to be from a lack of interest. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, there are likely multiple teams in pursuit of Kadri. But there's a reason why none of them have signed the 31-year-old center.

"I think what Kadri's doing, I've heard, is he is waiting, because I think there's some teams who want to sign him and they need to clear room," Friedman said on the most recent episode of his 32 Thoughts podcast. "I think Colorado's still a possibility and I think the Islanders would be someone else. But I wouldn't assume those are the only two. ...

"I think some teams have said, 'This is our offer, but we need to do something first.' So I think he's waiting a little bit."

Kadri shouldn't be in a rush. It can be the right move to wait for the right deal with a team that's a strong fit. It likely wouldn't be wise for him to settle and just sign any contract with just any team. That's especially the case given his situation, considering there are teams that want to sign him.

A return to the Avalanche could be a great fit for Kadri, as they again should be a Stanley Cup contender during the 2022-23 season. But they have only a projected $3.91 million in available cap space (per CapFriendly), which is something they'd need to fix if they hope to bring Kadri back.

Shawn Simpson of TSN 1200 heard that Kadri could return to Colorado if the team decided to move defenseman Samuel Girard, who is set to make $5 million in each of the next five seasons.

The Islanders have a bit more financial flexibility at the moment, as CapFriendly projects them to have a projected $11.185 million of available cap space. But they have several players who are restricted free agents and will need to be signed. After that, there may not be much available space so like the Avs, they'd have to clear room for a possible Kadri deal.

It's unknown which other teams could potentially be pursuing Kadri. The Athletic's Peter Baugh listed the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and Seattle Kraken among possible fits; whether any of those teams have had discussions with Kadri's camp isn't currently clear.

However, it's quite possible that Colorado is the team working the hardest to try to sign Kadri, according to a report by Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now.

"My sources continue to say the Avalanche is the only real team trying to clear cap room to make this thing happen," Dater wrote.

That could change, or perhaps other teams aren't making it as known that they're trying to create a spot for Kadri. Either way, he should continue to be patient and wait out this market, as it's clear that things keep developing on this front.

At some point, Kadri is going to sign a sizable deal, and it will likely be with a team he fits well on and can have success with. In the meantime, the veteran is making the right move in watching other free agents sign until then.

That explosion you heard around 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday night was bombshell news being dropped: Johnny Gaudreau was going to the Columbus Blue Jackets. It's fitting for a team that sets off a literal cannon every time a goal is scored in their home barn.

Get ready for a lot of fireworks as the explosive winger has decided to sign with the rebuilding franchise. In a move that no one could have seen coming, the former Calgary Flames forward opted against returning home to the east coast and instead signed a seven-year, $68.25 million contract ($9.75 million AAV) in Columbus.

Gaudreau, whose 115 points were tied for second in the league last season, could be leaving upwards of $15 million on the table to sign with a team that seemingly came out of left field. For the last few months, the narrative had been that Gaudreau wanted to play for a team closer to his native New Jersey.

He seemed destined for the Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, or even the New York Islanders, but another Metropolitan Division team came flying in off the top rope to steal the 28-year-old and stun the hockey world.

It's created a ripple effect throughout the division. The addition of Gaudreau makes the Metro a murderer's row of sorts. Every team has a legitimate chance of contending for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot except the Flyers and maybe the Devils, though that could change.

New Jersey has made it known that it intends to take a step forward to try and get over the hump of its extended rebuild. The failed pursuit of Gaudreau means that general manager Tom Fitzgerald had to go to Plan B.

Fitzgerald was able to obtain a free-agent forward late Wednesday night after reportedly striking an agreement with former Lightning winger Ondrej Palat on a five-year deal. The trade market is also a place to explore for the Devils, with Vladimir Tarasenko a name to keep an eye on. Targeting an elite, high-priced free agent like Gaudreau just one year after signing defenseman Dougie Hamilton to a seven-year contract shows the aspiration to contend again and it remains to be seen if New Jersey is done after the Palat signing.

But the Blue Jackets seem to think they can contend again as well.

The run never came to fruition, and Kekalainen was forced to do some tearing down of sorts in order to retool. He fired coach John Tortorella and loaded up on draft picks. The Blue Jackets were not expected to make much noise in a tough division for a few more years, but now there is a chance they can re-sign Laine, which makes the expectations sky-high.

The run never came to fruition and Kekalainen was forced to do some tearing down of sorts in order to retool. He fired coach John Tortorella and loaded up on draft picks. The Blue Jackets were not expected to make much noise in a tough division for a few more years, but now there is a chance they can re-sign Laine, which makes the expectations sky-high.

Coincidentally, that's about the same height of the hill they'll have to climb in the division. Every single playoff team in the Metro addressed a glaring weakness.

The New York Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final just last month, and while there was some roster turnover following the season, most of the top guys are locked up long-term. They also signed center Vincent Trocheck on Wednesday to replace Ryan Strome on the second line and goalie Jaroslav Halak, giving them a quality veteran backup to reigning Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin.

The Pittsburgh Penguins didn't make any major acquisitions Wednesday, but they did re-sign center Evgeni Malkin, forward Rickard Rakell and defenseman Kris Letang. The Penguins showed that they are still a top team in the league and that Sidney Crosby is still a top player in an intense first-round showdown with the Rangers a few months ago. Had they not been down to their third-string goalie, they might have been able to eliminate New York.

The reigning division winners, the Carolina Hurricanes, added 2017 Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns. He might be 37, but he still generates shots and moves the puck, and the Canes needed a right-shot puck-mover after dealing Tony DeAngelo to the Flyers last week during the NHL draft in Montreal.

The club also took advantage of the Vegas Golden Knights' cap situation by acquiring Max Pacioretty in a trade for future considerations and signed speedy forward Ondrej Kase as a depth move, bringing in a total of five players on Wednesday.

The Washington Capitals also improved their Achilles' heel by signing goalie Darcy Kuemper, who is fresh off of a Stanley Cup win.

The Islanders' direction seems unclear, but general manager Lou Lamoriello often operates in secrecy, with few leaks and even fewer public comments.

That leaves the Flyers on an island by themselves. It might be a long season in Philly.

Philadelphia GM Chuck Fletcher said the Flyers couldn't make anything work with Gaudreau because of cap space. It's a problem of Fletcher's own creation, as he's been building the team since 2018, and fans have a right to be upset about this whiff.

The reason why Flyers fans are up in arms—and Blue Jackets fans are ecstatic—is that Gaudreau is a franchise-changer. As a speedy, playmaking winger, he's among the best passers in the league and has tremendous vision and instincts. All of this is in addition to his scorer's touch. He just completed a monster season, scoring 40 goals and putting up 115 points.

His size (5'9") has been a liability at times, so any team will need strength and size on the ice with him, but that's not exactly a problem, especially considering the Blue Jackets also signed 6'4" defenseman Erik Gudbranson on Wednesday.

The biggest problem facing Columbus now is Laine's contract. He's a restricted free agent in need of a raise. His previous salary was $7.5 million, and the Blue Jackets only have a little more than $3 million in cap space.

But even with Laine, this team might not be formidable enough to fight off all of the competition in the Metro. Goalie Elvis Merzlikins has not looked as strong as he did during his rookie campaign and the Jackets failed to trade his backup, Joonas Korpisalo. Columbus' .897 save percentage was ranked 24th last season.

The power-play success rate was only 24th in the league. There were plenty of growing pains in head coach Brad Larsen's first season, but there were bright spots too—namely, the growth of top prospects Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger. This may not be the year we see Columbus become serious contenders, but if they take strides and play in meaningful games down the stretch, it shouldn't be considered a failed year.

It's why the signing of Gaudreau is so fascinating. You don't bring in a player like Gaudreau just to make strides—you bring him in to win. It won't be easy in the Metropolitan Division, but the rest of the teams have just been put on notice.

The Penguins and veteran forward Evgeni Malkin have agreed to a four-year, $24.4 million deal that will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2025-26 season, the team announced Tuesday.

"Evgeni is a generational talent who will be remembered as one of the greatest players in NHL history," said general manager Ron Hextall. "His hockey resume and individual accomplishments speak volumes about him as a player, and we are thrilled to watch him continue his remarkable legacy in Pittsburgh."

The deal comes as no surprise as Malkin offered to take a pay cut of $20 million over three years to remain in Pittsburgh, according to Mark Madden of TribLive. His eight-year, $76 million deal expired after the 2021-22 campaign, and he was set to enter free agency on Wednesday had he not reached a deal with the Pens.

That said, there was some doubt the veteran would remain in Pittsburgh after his close friends and teammates told The Athletic's Rob Rossi that he was "devastated" by the lack of progress on an extension last week.

"He wants to play only in Pittsburgh," one of Malkin's friends told Rossi at the time. "He doesn't understand how it's at this point with him not being signed. He's said, 'They don't think I'm a good player—why?'"

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski also reported that Malkin was set to test free agency after he and the Penguins remained at an impasse in contract negotiations.

The 35-year-old has spent his entire 16-year career with the Penguins, which selected him second overall in the 2004 NHL draft. He has racked up 444 goals and 702 assists for 1,146 points in 981 regular-season games.

Malkin is a three-time All-Star, two-time Art Ross winner, the 2011-12 Hart Trophy winner and 2011-12 Pearson Award winner. He has also been a significant playoff performer for the Pens, tallying 67 goals and 113 assists for 180 points in 177 games.

While Malkin missed time because of injury during the 2021-22 campaign, the Russian still tallied 20 goals and 22 assists for 42 points in 41 games. It was an improvement from the season prior in which he tallied just eight goals and 20 assists in 33 games.

Malkin is still a serviceable forward, and it's no surprise Pittsburgh re-signed him for another four seasons. He has helped the Penguins win three Stanley Cups and been instrumental to their success over the years.

Filip Forsberg and the Nashville Predators reached an agreement on a new eight-year contract, the team announced Saturday.

ESPN's Dawn Davenport first reported the sides were nearing a deal that would pay Forsberg close to $70 million.

The news comes after the left wing had been linked in numerous trade rumors leading up to the March 21 deadline. However, Predators general manager David Poile said on March 1 that he wanted to extend the alternate captain's contract before the deadline, so the deal comes as no surprise.

Poile said in an interview with 102.5 The Game in Nashville (h/t NHL.com):

"No, I'm not trying to trade Filip Forsberg, I'm trying to sign Filip Forsberg. It hasn't been done. I don't know when it's going to get done. I don't have the crystal ball to say it will get done. Both sides want it to happen, but it hasn't happened now."

The Washington Capitals selected Forsberg 11th overall in the 2012 draft before trading him to the Predators. The Swede has spent his entire 10-year career in Nashville, tallying 220 goals and 249 assists for 469 points in 566 games.

The 27-year-old appeared in 69 games during the 2021-22 season, tallying 42 goals and 42 assists.

With Forsberg remaining in Nashville, the franchise can focus on locking up several soon-to-be free agents such as Nick Cousins.

Prior to the start of Day 2 of the 2022 NHL draft on Friday, the Carolina Hurricanes reportedly agreed to trade defenseman Tony DeAngelo to the Philadelphia Flyers for multiple draft picks.

According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Flyers will receive DeAngelo and a seventh-round pick in exchange for second-, third- and fourth-round picks that are spread out over the next three years.

LeBrun added that DeAngelo agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract extension with the Flyers after the trade as well.

The 26-year-old is a six-year veteran who has played for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers and Hurricanes.

DeAngelo was the No. 19 pick in the 2014 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, but before ever appearing in a game for the team, he was traded to the Coyotes in 2016.

He was traded again one year later to the Rangers, and it was in New York where he fully hit his stride as a dynamic offensive defenseman.

His breakout year occurred in 2019-20 when he set career highs with 15 goals and 53 points while also posting a plus-12 rating.

After appearing in just six games for the Rangers in the 2020-21 campaign, DeAngelo was waived in the wake of getting into a locker-room altercation with goalie Alexandar Georgiev.

The Canes signed DeAngelo to a one-year, $1 million prove-it contract last summer, and it turned out to be a quality move, as the right-shot D-man bounced back with a career-high 41 assists to go with 10 goals in addition to posting a career-best plus-30 rating.

While DeAngelo has had some behavioral issues over the years, he is among the best puck-moving blueliners in the NHL, and the Flyers addressed a huge need by acquiring him.

Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim are two-way defensemen with perhaps a greater focus on defense, meaning DeAngelo will add some variety to the defense corps.

In the New Jersey native, the Flyers have a power-play quarterback and someone who can lead the rush at even strength, making him a significant addition for a team that went a disappointing 25-46-11 last season.

The Seattle Kraken landed the steal of the 2022 NHL draft, selecting center Shane Wright with the fourth overall pick on Thursday at Bell Centre.

This is a significant get for the Kraken as Wright was widely believed to be the best player available in this year's draft class following a standout career with the Ontario Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs.

Wright has spent the last three years of his career with the Frontenacs, though he didn't play the 2020-21 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was allowed to enter the OHL one year early when he was just 15 years old.

Wright was named the team's captain for the 2021-22 season and, after getting out to a slow start, proved why he's the best player in this year's NHL draft class with a strong second half.

The 18-year-old finished the year with 32 goals and 62 assists for 94 points in 63 regular-season games and added three goals and 11 assists in 11 playoff games. The Frontenacs were eliminated from the OHL playoffs with a semifinals loss to the North Bay Battalion.

Despite not playing for the Frontenacs during the 2020-21 campaign, Wright represented Team Canada at the Under-18 World Championships, helping lead the Canadians to a gold medal. He dominated the tournament, tallying nine goals and five assists in five games.

Wright also represented Team Canada at the World Junior Tournament, appearing in two games, tallying one assist, before it was rescheduled to August because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

The 6'1", 187-pound center has improved his skating over the last year and can really do it all offensively. He is a pure goal scorer but also has the ability to be a playmaker with great puck possession skills, high IQ and elite vision.

In addition, Wright can play solid defensively with good positioning and pressure on the back check. He has most often been compared to Patrice Bergeron, and if he can play anything like the Boston Bruins center, the Habs will certainly been in good hands for many years to come.

Wright should enter Seattle's lineup immediately. The team struggled to a 27-49-6 record during the 2021-22 season, one of the worst finishes in the league, and could use a player of his caliber to provide a boost.