Tkachuk is heading into restricted free agency this season, most seem to think he is going to sign a long term deal this summer, but as Kent Wilson of RV-snapped-dot-com points out, Tkachuk could take his qualifying offer from the Flames and force unrestricted free agency next year.
On the flip side of that, he could leverage a career year into a long term big money deal before ever hitting the open market. In my opinion, what Tkachuk does will depend on how Calgary handles Johnny Gaudreau. Those two seem really close, I'd be willing to bet if Gaudreau walks this summer, Tkachuk will force free agency next year.