Why would Tkachuk accept less than the $9M he's guaranteed to make this season through arbitration?

I figured he’d be closer to 9. Maybe a bit north of that. That’s why the cap space left.

I don't think there's going to be any way to get him out of Calgary before his arbitration hearing. This season, he's going to have a 1 year @ $9.5M-10M contract, and whoever acquires him can try to extend him to a long term deal on January 1.

No way Anaheim takes over 7.5 mill off your books and pays for the privilege of doing so. Cap space isn't free, picks or prospects come the other way, and for that amount of cap dump, we are talking good ones. Edmonton gave up a second and a third to get Kassian off their books at 3.2 mil.