How Matthew Tkachuk Is Embracing His New Role

Much like his father and younger brother, Matthew Tkachuk entered the NHL as a world-class irritant. Opponents can’t stand him…but they secretly wish he was on their side.

While he does agitate with the best of them, he’s especially aggravating because he does so on his terms. He picks his spots, goads you into mistakes and makes you pay for them at a healthy rate. For many years, he was among the most underrated left-wingers in hockey. However, with fellow left-winger Johnny Gaudreau on Calgary’s depth chart, one of the two stars didn’t always enjoy the highest-quality linemates.

Second-year Flames head coach Darryl Sutter came up with a simple solution: Play them together. Tkachuk was shifted to the right-wing and joined Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm on the team’s undisputed top unit. By giving Tkachuk and Gaudreau the most talented partners they’ve ever had, Sutter created this season’s best line in hockey. Gaudreau ranks fourth in league scoring, Tkachuk is seventh (83 points in 67 games) and the trio controls 61.3% of the expected goals as well as 71.1% of the actual goals at 5-on-5. That’s dominant stuff.

Tkachuk’s offensive explosion isn’t merely a case of playing with Gaudreau, though. He has legitimate first-line pedigree. We saw it in his 77-point campaign as a 21-year-old. We see it in his incisive playmaking. We see it in his jaw-dropping tricks in close quarters. This year, we’re seeing it with even greater frequency because his shift to the right wing has opened up all new passing angles:

Along the boards, he can hop on loose pucks or receive outlet passes on his forehand and then immediately swing the puck into the middle of the ice to a rushing teammate. This exact setup seems to generate a breakaway for Gaudreau every other night.

Then there’s the goal-line brilliance. As a capable left shot, he’s now better positioned to attack the slot without mercy. Opponents—goaltenders included—must respect his finish, which leads to plenty of playmaking opportunities. That just happens to align with his preferences. His one-touch passing may be unrivaled across the entire league, as he routinely picks defenses apart with a single flick of the stick. Calgary often engages in high-low action with the specific purpose of moving defenders and creating seams for Tkachuk to exploit.

Sliding the 24-year-old over to the right side and thus placing greater emphasis on his forehand has revealed just how quickly Tkachuk can hurt you. He continually mines the bumper or backdoor option for glorious chances. If you offer him the slightest window, he’ll ruin your night in the blink of an eye.

With that said, he’s far from dependent on his spots:

Once again, you might notice how little time the puck actually spends on his blade. That’s a function of his killer instinct. The moment he detects a weakness—a change of leverage, an overly aggressive gap, etc.—he tries to take advantage of it. He displays an innate feel for the game.

Moreover, he’s a lumbering and awkward skater with poor side-to-side agility. He isn’t pulling away from or dancing through any defenders. As such, he has to rely on his vision and hockey sense to carry him. That might sound like an odd way to describe a member of the Tkachuk family, but when you cast the antics aside and zero in on his contributions to Calgary’s offense, you’re left with an incredibly clever and proficient playmaker. The numbers don’t lie: He ranks 10th in primary assists and eighth in primary assist rate.

Of course, playing with Johnny Hockey full-time hasn’t hurt. Both wingers are dual threats. Therefore, both wingers have gotten even better looks at the net this season:

Since Gaudreau’s style is rooted in finesse, Tkachuk represents a nice counterpoint by offering him viable passing targets and driving to the dirty areas. Once he dishes to a teammate, he presents a return passing lane to them. If the opposition clamps down on his designs, he’ll gladly crash the net in hopes of finding a deflection, rebound or tap-in. His focus is squarely on making himself available. It’s safe to say Gaudreau can work with that.

Though Calgary’s two best wingers don’t necessarily manufacture plays the same way, they see the ice similarly. They’re both perpetually ready for each other’s passes, which has yielded a terrifying brand of rapid-fire offense. When they’re on, their interplay is a sight to behold:

In tight, Tkachuk is as savvy as they come. He switches up his shot locations, demonstrates a knack for psyching out goaltenders and is confident enough to deliver some between-the-legs shenanigans just to keep you honest.

Naturally, his scoring has benefited from his blossoming rapport with Gaudreau. He’s posting the highest 5-on-5 expected goal and actual goal rates of his career this season, and he ranks ninth and 13th leaguewide in those respective metrics. In all situations, when you combine his passing and finishing, he slots in at third in points per 60 minutes. In other words, he’s become one of the most potent offensive players in the sport.

Granted, he’s also been hitting considerably less this season, but the Flames’ first line is proving why it’s better to own the puck than to chase it. Calgary is 40-18-9 and its top unit has scored 59 goals while conceding 24 at even strength. Gaudreau is a wizard in possession, Lindholm is a reliable two-way pivot and Tkachuk is the wild card—a 6’2”, 202-pound playmaking pest who aims straight at the jugular.

Sutter’s decision to ice them together is extracting every last ounce of production from Tkachuk’s daring and direct tendencies. He’s reaching his ceiling. Or maybe he’s raising it.

At any rate, it’s time we showed some love to one of the most hated players in recent memory.