First, Johnny Gaudreau left for Columbus, then a week later Matthew Tkachuk wanted out. Two 100-point players left the only team they'd played for and it looked like the Flames were about to be forced to start from scratch. Even when Flames GM Brad Treliving turned Tkachuk into Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, many thought the Flames lost the trade given that Weegar and Huberdeau were entering the final year of their contracts and both are older than Tkachuk.
Treliving quickly turned that theory around by signing Huberdeau to an 8-year deal worth $10.5M per season and has been in talks with Weegar about an extension as well. To follow up his blockbuster trade with Florida, Treliving swooped in and snatched up Nazem Kadri from the Islanders' and Lou Lamoriello's grasp this afternoon. Treliving was able to sign Kadri to a 7-year deal worth $7M per season.
In signing Huberdeau and Kadri, the Flames actually saved themselves almost $2M in cap space and replaced Gaudreau's 115 points and Tkachuk's edge and physicality while also improving their blueline, adding a bona-fide top-4 defenseman in Weegar. Treliving was also able to deal Sean Monahan to Montreal at the same time as signing Kadri to clear up space.
Treliving took what started out as a terrible off-season and turned it into one of the best off seasons we have seen in recent years. The Flames were a deep team last season and, with the additions they've made the past month, are likely even deeper now. The NHL might as well just hand the GM of the Year award to Treliving now, because he has done a remarkable job in retooling the Flames on the fly. It's not often you see a team lose two 100-point players and improve. In fact, I don't know that it's ever happened.
