Could New Jersey Devils Realistically Acquire Matthew Tkachuk?

Rumors are swirling that Calgary Flames superstar Matthew Tkachuk is available in a trade. Of course, these are rumors, and can not be taken too seriously. In my opinion, the Flames and Tkachuk will settle for a 1 year, $9.5 Mill AAV contract to keep him in Alberta one more season. They may decide that it is more valuable to keep Tkachuk for one more playoff run. However, they also might want to recoup assets for a player who may leave for nothing. This is where the New Jersey Devils come into the picture.

Of the teams with suitable cap space, the Devils arguably make the most amount of sense for both parties. The Devils need a winger, and Tkachuk gets a Gaudreau-lite in Jack Hughes that he could thrive off of. GM Tom Fitzgerald is also a cousin of Tkachuk, so their family ties could also be a big factor. There were also rumors that the Devils offered the 2nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft in return for Tkachuk, so the Devils may have already done some legwork in pushing for a deal.

The big issue with all of this is the cost of assets to acquire Tkachuk. The Flames would want a mammoth offer, to somewhat aid the pain of losing both of their stars in one offseason. The offer Calgary would want may deter the Devils:

Many Devils fans might do this, but I would be very disappointed if Jesper Bratt went the other way. The whole point of adding another winger was to have an elite winger for both of the top lines. That way, Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes both get one of Bratt or Tkachuk/Tarasenko. Trading away Bratt does not solve this issue, and would make the Devils too top-heavy.

The trade is also hard to discern from the Devils’ perspective. What exactly should they give up for a current RFA, albeit a star like Tkachuk? Taking out Bratt from the deal, this is what I came up with.

Frankly, I have no idea if this is too little or too much value. In this deal, the Devils give up a valuable 1st round pick next year and a good roster player in Damon Severson, who is also from the area. The Flames get back an elite prospect in Alex Holtz, who could in theory replace Tkachuk at 1st line LW. And finally, they get back a B-Tier prospect in Shakir Mukhamadullin. It could be a fair deal for both sides, but it also could be an offer that Calgary laughs at. It truly depends on Tkachuk’s willingness to stay in Jersey. And with a dwindling cap reserve, the cost of his extension has to be in the back of Fitzgerald’s mind as well.

But Tkachuk and New Jersey truly feel like a match made in heaven. This is a 100-point player who provides a rare combination of skill and speed. He is a gritty forward who can get underneath the skin of the opposition. He is a player built for the playoffs, and with Tkachuk, the Devils would almost certainly be playoff pushers. Many Devils fans wanted the team to take Juraj Slafkovsky in the draft for this purpose, but Tkachuk perhaps will do it better than Slafkovsky ever could. A Tkachuk- Hughes- Mercer line could be among the best in the NHL.