Did the Calgary Flames make the right choice in burning a year off of Matthew Tkachuk’s entry-level deal? For at least one night, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
Tkachuk scored two goals, including the game-winner, as the Calgary Flames beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Thursday night.
If you look at Tkachuk’s five points in 10 games, his start to 2016-17 isn’t that impressive. Things have really picked up in the last five games, however:
Thursday: two goals against San Jose, +2 rating
Nov. 1: no points, two shots on goal
Oct. 30: assist
Oct. 28: assist
Oct. 25: assist
With that, we’re reaching an interesting fork in the road for Son of Keith; is it possible that the Flames aren’t giving the impressive 18-year-old enough ice time?
His 16:10 of time on ice from Thursday easily marks a career-high, but perhaps that should become the norm, particularly for a team in the middle of the pack in a Pacific Division that seems ripe for the taking.
At minimum, it sounds like the Flames made the right choice in keeping Matthew Tkachuk around. At least for one night.