Two of the not-so-great trades came with the team the Flames play on Friday, the Florida Panthers. Neither the Sam Bennett nor the Matthew Tkachuk trades worked out for the Flames, but there is a silver lining. In this edition of Throwback Thursday, we’ll take a look at those two trades as well as the ramifications of them.

The first of the two trades was the Bennett trade on Apr. 12, 2021. By this point in the season, the Flames were nine points out of the final playoff spot with two additional games played over the Montréal Canadiens, forcing them to sell ahead of the 2021 trade deadline.

Bennett was drafted fourth overall by the Flames in 2014, but it just didn’t work out in Alberta. His rookie season in 2015-16 saw him score 18 goals and 36 points in 77 games, but he never topped 15 goals or 30 points again in his Flames tenure. Giving him a fresh start, the Flames traded him to the Panthers for Emil Heineman and a 2022 second-round pick.

That second was traded to acquire Calle Jankrok from the Seattle Kraken, while Heineman was traded before the following trade deadline to the Canadiens for Tyler Toffoli. Eventually, the Flames traded Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich and the pick used to select Aydar Suniev. The trade itself wasn’t great for what Bennett turned out to become (more on that in a bit), but the trade tree itself was okay.

Bennett’s first full season with the Panthers saw him score 28 goals and 49 points. Since the trade, he hasn’t finished with 40 points, and has scored 20 or more goals three times. He’s coming off a career year in 2024-25, scoring 25 goals and 51 points.

Toffoli was acquired before the 2022 trade deadline and helped the Flames finish the 2021-22 season strong, as their 50-21-11 record was the best in the Pacific Division. Unfortunately, that team crumbled during the off-season. The late-great Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tkachuk found himself on the Panthers.

At the time, Tkachuk was a restricted free agent and informed the Flames he wasn’t going to sign a long-term extension. A short time later, the Flames traded him and a 2025 fourth to the Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a 2025 first.

At the time, it looked like they got good value out of a crappy situation. Huberdeau was coming off a 30-goal, 115-point season en route to being the leading scorer for a Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers team in 2021-22. Weegar was and still is a top-pairing defenceman, scoring 20 goals and 52 points in just his second season with the Flames. Additionally, that first-round pick turned into prospect Cullen Potter.

Unfortunately, Huberdeau’s play has tailed off since joining the Flames, which makes this trade not-so-great in revisionist terms. Later that summer, the Flames attached a first-round pick to trade Sean Monahan and his salary, using that space to sign Nazem Kadri. On the other hand, Tkachuk was the final piece needed to make the Panthers contenders.

The Panthers just barely snuck into the 2023 post-season, overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to the Boston Bruins, and winning Game 7 in overtime. They went to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

But that was a vital experience for the Panthers, as they went on to win the next two Stanley Cups. In the Panthers’ three trips to the postseason, Tkachuk has 25 goals and 69 points in 67 games. Bennett has also found success in those runs, scoring 27 goals and 24 points. Last postseason, he scored 15 goals and 22 points in 23 games, en route to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.

So what’s the silver lining for the Flames? There’s a strong probability that had they not made these two trades, the Panthers wouldn’t have become the dynasty they are. In the past two Stanley Cup Finals, the Panthers have vanquished the Flames’ eternal rival, the Edmonton Oilers.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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