Calgary Flames Player Profile: Matthew Tkachuk

Tkachuk was born in Scottsdale, Arizona while his father was playing for the Phoenix Coyotes. But, as is public knowledge – the Tkachuk family set their roots in St. Louis, where you can find them every summer. Due to his December birthday, he was drafted in the 2016 Entry Draft – much like Toronto’s Auston Matthews who also just missed the age requirement for the 2015 Draft.

Before the NHL

The US National Development program is based out of Plymouth, Michigan. For many American bred NHL-ers, this is a very well-known option somewhat akin to Canadians going through the OHL. For two seasons, this is where Tkachuk laced up his skates. His first season, the 2013 – 2014 one, he had an okay performance. Not great, not horrible, just okay. In the 33 games, he had 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points. He also tacked on 18 PIM and was a -12, for all the stats fans out there.

His second year was a much better all around performance. The 2014 – 2015 USNDTP season had Tkachuk scoring 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points in 24 games. Interested in the advanced stats? Tkachuk spent 75 minutes in the penalty box, and was a +20 on the season. Now, concluding the season, had Tkachuk been born just a few months earlier, he would have been drafted.

Alas, he was in an interesting spot. His choice? Spend a year in the OHL with the London Knights. His one season was definitely a memorable one. OHL fans will remember the 2015 – 2016 season as the one where the Knights won the Memorial Cup with future NHL stars Tkachuk and Mitch Marner. Matthew Tkachuk fans will remember it as the season he put up 107 points in 57 games, along with 40 points in 18 playoff games. Delving deeper into the stats, he had 30 goals and 77 assists in the regular season – along with 80 PIM and a +45. In the playoffs, he tacked on 20 goals, 20 assists, and 42 PIM.

Early NHL

Finally, the 2016 NHL Entry Draft came and it was time for Tkachuk to be drafted. After an absolutely stellar year in the OHL, the Calgary Flames selected Matthew Tkachuk 6th overall in the first round. Man, did he jump right into play. His first year was definitely a good one, as he put up 13 goals and 35 assists for 48 points in 76 games. Not bad for a rookie. It definitely didn’t take long for fans to acquire a “pest” nickname to Tkachuk. Which makes sense when you figure in the 105 minutes he spent in the box in year one alone. I mean, a rivalry with Drew Doughty will do that to you.

In his second year, Tkachuk was progressively more productive throughout the season. Though he only played 68 games, he produced 24 goals and 25 assists for 49 points. He also spent much less time in the box, opting for a much more reasonable 61 minutes, though he was a -1 on the year.

Current & Future

Last year, the 2018 – 2019 season, it was his best season in the NHL to date. As a result, Tkachuk played almost a full season (80 games) and in those showed 34 goals and 43 assists for 77 points. He spent 62 minutes in the box, and managed to improve his +- to 14.

This year, was an interesting one, but not to say that it was bad before the stoppage. In the 69 games the Flames have played, Tkachuk currently has 23 goals and 38 assists for 61 points. That point total is enough to lead the Flames in scoring. However, a very public rivalry with Zach Kassian of the Edmonton Oilers and of course Drew Doughty has led him to spend 74 minutes in the box as the season currently sits.

Now, I’m not here to argue that Tkachuk is a bad player. Quite the opposite actually. He has the chance to be a franchise player in Calgary, and depending how long he chooses to spend in Alberta – a possible future captain. But, who knows what the future holds.

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