Associated Press
Sunrise, Fla. — The easiest thing for the Florida Panthers this summer would have been to maintain the status quo, especially after posting the NHL’s best record.
The Panthers went a different way.
Matthew Tkachuk was introduced Monday as the team’s newest addition, three days after the Panthers and Calgary completed a trade that sent Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional first-round draft pick to the Flames.
It was the latest big move for Florida, which earlier this summer hired Paul Maurice to take over for Andrew Brunette – a coach of the year finalist as an interim for the Panthers this past season – and now parts ways with both the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in Huberdeau and a defenseman in Weegar who led the team in skater minutes over the past two seasons.