It's no longer a matter of if Matthew Tkachuk is going to be traded, it's when. A list of 5 teams was released yesterday of teams that Tkachuk was willing to sign with, but that list had been debunked by Eric Francis. 24 hours later it appears the New Jersey Devils have emerged as the favourites to land Tkachuk.
It was reported at the NHL Entry Draft that the New Jersey Devils had interest in acquiring Tkachuk, in a deal surrounding the second overall pick. But neither team could come to an agreement on the deal.
Now it appears the Devils have circled back to try and make a deal work. With the arbitration hearing set for August 11th, the Flames will have no choice but to work at a deal before that date. If they are unable to, they will negatively impact the trade value as teams will be unable to negotiate an extension.
