Welcome back to another edition of Around the Pacific, a column where we bring you the news from around the Pacific Division through a Canucks-themed lens.
Earlier today we released another edition of Around the Pacific, which means you get two in one day!
This one centered around the impending implosion of the Calgary Flames as we know them.
The Flames, who won the Pacific Division last season, lost Johnny Gaudreau at the 11th hour of free agency and have seemingly been in ride mode ever since.
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They made it clear during free agency that their number one priority was to sign Matthew Tkachuk, but now Tkachuk has informed the Flames that he will not sign with Calgary when his contract expires at the end of next season.
This from Haley Salvian and Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic:
Matthew Tkachuk has told the Calgary Flames he will not re-sign with the club, multiple sources have told The Athletic, making a trade for the 24-year-old All-Star forward likely imminent.
Tkachuk hasn’t officially requested a trade, but the fact that the restricted free agent doesn’t want to commit long-term to Calgary will be the driving force behind the decision to move him now.
Obviously, the Flames would like to avoid a repeat of the disaster by letting Tkachuk walk for nothing in free agency the same way they did with Johnny Gaudreau.
If you’re a Canucks fan, that means the Pacific Division is essentially wide open.
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If Tkachuk and Gaudreau re-sign — or maybe just if Tkachuk stays a Flame — there’s a good chance the Flames could win the division again, or at least be a lock for a top-three spot.
Also, the LA Kings – who added Kevin Fiala this offseason – the Edmonton Oilers and maybe even the Vegas Golden Knights will all be competitive next season, making it difficult for the Canucks to make the playoffs no matter what.
But with this news from Calgary?
The Flames will almost certainly retool on the fly and try to build a new young core while still owning cost-controlled veteran players like Elias Lindholm, Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev and Tyler Toffoli for the foreseeable future.
This means next season the Flames are certainly not a lock for a top three spot and that the Pacific Division could turn into a four horse race between the Canucks, Oilers, Golden Knights and Kings.
That being said, don’t underestimate the Flames’ ability to find ways to win under Darryl Sutter or whoever they have in goal. Canucks fans know firsthand 2022 Vezina Trophy finalist Jacob Markstrom’s ability to drag a weak team ahead of him in the playoff hunt.
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If you do bet, the four teams to favor in the Pacific are likely the ones that haven’t taken nearly as monumental a step back as the Flames did — and likely still will — this offseason.
The Pacific is certainly an easier division to play in than it looked two weeks ago, and with the Canucks still expected to make some moves to refine their roster before next season, the door could be wide open for the Canucks to grab the lead third place in the Pacific Ocean.
The other thing it means for the Canucks is that the player they infamously traded in the 2016 Draft is now leaving their division, putting the club that drafted him in an even tougher position.
Olli Juolevi would never do such a thing.
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