TORONTO — Matthew Tkachuk wasn’t making any Joe Namath/Mark Messier-type guarantees when it comes to the Calgary Flames' fortunes this upcoming season, both in terms of the team’s Stanley Cup aspirations and its place in the always-bitter Battle of Alberta.
Then again, he didn’t need to use any words to express his excitement concerning the moves the Flames made over the past six weeks. It was, after all, etched on his face.
You could make a legitimate argument that the Flames have enjoyed the most productive off-season of any National Hockey League team, bringing in veteran Mike Smith to fill the void between the pipes, trading for talented blueliner Travis Hamonic and re-signing depth defenceman Michael Stone.