Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
I can't waste energy booing, but I already have July 1st 2031 marked on my calendar. I'd love to be proven wrong though. Next season can't come soon enough to see how it plays out.
I had my doubts that he is a 1st line player to begin with. He has skill and can put up points, but he doesn't seem to play well against top defenders. He really isn't good when challenged one-on-one. So many times last season he would get challenged and then just pass the puck to nowhere. That sort of thing has nothing to do with coaching. You can make a case that his line mates weren't good at making space for him, but you expect someone getting the contract he did to be able to do that. I can see why Huberdeau didn't play well on the top line with Barkov and Florida put him on the 2nd line with players like Bennett, Duclair, Wennberg, and Hornqvist as those guys were high pressure players that could draw in defenders. I see him more as a second liner that you give as much PP time to as possible, but not a player that you match up against the other team's best players.
It would actually be pretty awesome to have a 2nd liner who can be a PPG or better, but paying guys as much as he is about to get paid, who only put up points and don't do much more on the ice, isn't a great use of cap space. You have to look past points and look at everything they do. Huberdeau at what he was making last season is actually a decent deal. For the next 8 years though at $10.5 million, that could get ugly.
|
I agree with this, but it was his fault that Treliving offered him that contract. What Treliving should've done is offers him Tkachuk's money but Treliving was still pissed at Gaudreau, so offered Huberdeau the same money he offered Gaudreau to just kinda rub it in Gaudreau's face. Even if Huberdeau's agent asked for $10.5 M, he can countered it with Tkachuk's money. So, IMHO, this is on Treliving.