Jonathan Huberdeau #10 of the Calgary Flames celebrates his goal with Kevin Rooney #21 (Photo by Leah Hennel/Getty Images)
As the regular season winds down, the Calgary Flames are vying for the final spot in the Western Conference Playoffs. While everyone is pointing to Dustin Wolf, and rightfully so, Jonathan Huberdeau's reemergence is flying under the radar.
Huberdeau, along with MacKenzie Weegar, was traded from the Florida Panthers for Matthew Tkachuk on July 22, 2022. He immediately signed an eight-year deal with the Flames, earning $10.5 million a season for producing 115 points (30 goals and 85 assists) in his final season with the Panthers.
Huberdeau struggled to find his game with the Flames, and many wondered if he deserved that contract to begin with. There was thought that the Flames made a mistake, as Huberdeau had a 60-point dropoff, producing 55 points in the 2022-23 season and 52 points last year.
Despite only having 49 points this season, Huberdeau has a different edge this season under Ryan Huska. He has been able to find more confidence playing on the penalty kill, which has helped his overall game.
“The one thing Ryan had him doing was killing penalties at the beginning of the year to see Hubby’s work ethic,” Flames GM Craig Conroy told RG in an exclusive interview. “You feel like his overall game is really good right now. His work ethic, what he's doing, penalty killing. A lot of people don't think of him as a penalty killer, but he's done a very good job for us. He's got a great stick, and he reads plays well.”
Huberdeau has goals in back-to-back games, potting 25 goals during the season. That is five goals away from his career high of 30. He hit the 30-goal mark twice with the Florida Panthers. But unlike previous years, there is a comfort level with the Flames.
It takes time to adjust to new surroundings. Not everyone is Matthew Tkachuk, who can fit right into a new team and system. Huberdeay dealt with the shock of the trade. That through his game off for two seasons. And it is not that easy to hide in a Canadian market when you are slumping as a player.
“It is an adjustment, and it's going to a hockey market, for maybe you can hide a little bit in Florida, and there's no hiding in Calgary when you go through a slump,” Conroy added.
Even his teammates are noticing how he has adapted to playing in Calgary in his third season with the team. Having another skilled forward on the same line also helps.
“I think there is some comfort now that it's his third year in Calgary and Florida's behind him. I think he's kind of cut ties there, which has helped out,” MacKenzie Weegar told RG. “I think Naz (Nazem Kadri) has been a big part of it as well. I think he and Naz have nice chemistry together.”
But the attention is off Huberdeau and his game, which is allowing him to gain the confidence necessary to succeed. Calgary is in a playoff race and the spotlight is on Wolf Conroy knows the points will come again, but he is happy with the way Huberdeau's overall game is at.
Confidence is everything to a player, and when they don't have anything going in for them, and the points are not there. But sometimes it is more than just the points. Jonathan Huberdeau is having fun again with the Flames as they battle for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Jim Biringer
