NHL Rumors: New Jersey Devils & Calgary Flames Talked Blockbuster Trade

According to Pierre LeBrun, the New Jersey Devils tried very hard to acquire Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames before the star winger was dealt to the Florida Panthers.

A major reason why the Devils, unfortunately, struck out on Tkachuk was that they were not on his list of teams that he was willing to sign an extension with. Instead, the Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights were, so they had the upper hand in trade talks.

Tkachuk would have been a huge addition for the Devils, as he not only plays an extremely heavy game, but he is also coming off of a 104-point season. Yet, GM Tom Fitzgerald just couldn't match an offer as massive as the Panthers at the end of the day.

Yet, the Devils have nothing to be upset about. They are a team on the rise and still put together a pretty solid offseason. They added Ondrej Palat, John Marino, and Vitek Vanecek to their group. Obviously, they do not match the impact of a player like Tkachuk, but the Devils should still be more competitive in 2022-23.