Bill Zito made his big offseason move.
The Florida Panthers on Friday night acquired forward Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames and signed him to an eight-year extension that runs through the 2029-2030 season.
The cost? Two of their core players in All-Star winger Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, forward prospect Cole Schwindt and a lottery-protected first-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.
“Matthew is a tenacious, physical competitor who possesses a tremendously unique skill set,” Zito, the Panthers’ general manager, said in a press release announcing the move. “He is a consistent elite offensive contributor and has emerged as one of the most complete and dynamic young players in the National Hockey League. We are thrilled to be able to add a generational talent to our lineup.”
Tkachuk, 24, was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft and has amassed 382 points (152 goals, 230 assists) over 431 regular-season games. In the 2021-2022 season, he set career-high marks in goals (42), assists (62) and points (104).
But to get this “generational talent,” the Panthers had to ship off two key pieces in their lineup — albeit two players who were entering the final year of their contract.
Huberdeau is the Panthers’ all-time leader in assists (415) and points (613) and has been a staple in their lineup for more than a decade after being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in 2011.
Weegar went from a seventh-round pick in 2013 to a top-pair defenseman over the past two seasons alongside Aaron Ekblad. He has a career plus-minus of plus-77 to go along with 121 career points (27 goals and 94 assists) — 80 of which have come in the past two seasons.
“On behalf of the entire Florida Panthers organization, we would like to thank Jonathan and MacKenzie for their immense contributions to the Florida Panthers, both on and off the ice, during their tenures in South Florida,” Zito said. “They have both blossomed into exceptional athletes and people. Their contributions as players and people made an indelible mark on our franchise and we wish them both continued success in their future.”
