A part of the reason Matthew Tkachuk requested a trade out of Calgary has been revealed

Earlier this off-season, Flames fans were heavily disappointed after Matthew Tkachuk informed the team he wouldn't be re-signing in Calgary long term, which ultimately led to him being traded to Florida. Today, we discovered a potential contributing factor in Tkachuk's decision. According to Adam Ruzicka, Tkachuk wants to captain a team, which wasn't something Calgary was willing to accommodate.

The 24-year-old is coming off a career season in which he tallied 104 points (42 goals & 62 assists). Tkachuk was originally drafted by the Flames sixth overall in the 2016 NHL entry draft (the same draft class as close friend Auston Matthews). During his six seasons in Calgary, Tkachuk has produced 382 points and 425 penalty minutes in 431 career NHL games.

Given the fact that the Flames captaincy has been vacant since Mark Giordano left in the Seattle expansion draft a year ago, the move does seem puzzling. Tkachuk seems like a natural fit as a captain, but perhaps the Flames saw something to the contrary. In the end, perhaps it was the straw that broke the camel's back for Tkachuk, who recently watched his younger brother, Brady Tkachuk, become the captain of the Ottawa Senators.