The Calgary Flames have inked restricted free-agent forward Matthew Tkachuk to a three-year deal worth an average annual value of $7 million, the team announced Wednesday.

The contract gives Tkachuk the largest annual cap hit on the team. He will be a restricted free agent when it expires.

The 21-year-old will make $9 million in the third season of the contract, according to TSN's Darren Dreger. That ensures he'll receive a qualifying offer of at least that amount for a potential fourth year, should the sides fail to agree to a new deal before that time.

Tkachuk had a breakout campaign in his third NHL season in 2018-19. The Scottsdale, Arizona, native tallied career bests with 34 goals and 43 assists for 77 points. He also ranked third on the Flames with 104 hits.

The Flames now have key core pieces Tkachuk, Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm, Mark Giordano, and Noah Hanifin signed through the 2021-22 campaign.

Tkachuk is the fifth high-profile player from this summer's restricted free-agent class to sign a bridge deal with their respective club. Most recently, Brayden Point inked a three-year contract with an average annual value of $6.75 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Calgary now sits $658,000 above the cap with a full active roster, which means the team will need to shuffle some pieces around to become compliant before the start of the regular season, according to CapFriendly.

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