Matthew Tkachuk Reveals the Other Teams He Nearly Went to Instead of Florida

Though Matthew Tkachuk has excelled as a Florida Panther thus far, there are now at least two other teams known to have come close to acquiring him.

The dynamite power forward/brother of Brady/son of Keith recently revealed during an appearance on the Cam & Strick podcast that, knowing he wouldn't be re-upping in Calgary long-term, he'd come close to being dealt to either the Carolina Hurricanes or his father's St. Louis Blues.

Based on last season, Florida is where Tkachuk seemingly belongs. The Calgary Flames gave him the right to meet with different teams personally for an entire week, allowing him to choose his own destiny. Given how the Flames got Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar plus other pieces in return for Tkachuk, it definitely makes one wonder what a package from St. Louis or Carolina would've looked like.

For Tkachuk personally, he seems to have had his eyes fully locked on signing with the Panthers, as he indicates during the podcast. A personal-best 109-point season and an improbable Stanley Cup Final appearance later, it's clear Tkachuk's call has been the right one.