Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts
The icetime looks to evenly given out, if they want to give more to the Backlund go ahead.
But he really isn't holding back his linemates. Lindholm has been ass himself, so maybe hes the one holding back the line?
They put him with Kadri and Dube, and he got blamed for the -3 they all add when you go back and watch Dube throw up easy passes to Detroit.
He is part of the problem, but its a bigger issue than just Huberdeau.
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This is beyond minor play adjustments on the ice. The Huberdeau situation is literally the biggest issue facing the franchise right now. There is no papering over the cracks.
You mentioned guys like Gaudreau, Tkachuck and Iginla struggling at times. Yes, that's called a slump, all players go through slumps -- but that's not what's happening with Huberdeau, it's not comparable at all. At no point did those guys look like they should literally be demoted to the AHL, which Huberdeau has looked like this season, which was supposed to be a bounce back season. We aren't talking about a guy whose playing mediocre -- we're talking about the highest paid guy in franchise history who doesn't look like he's fit to play in the league right now. You've got a nearly 100 game sample size with him as a Flame, and he hasn't done anything of note. He is holding the team back on the ice, and he is holding the franchise back with that massive contract. You don't pay a guy $10.5 x 8 years to be a net negative.
If you're thinking this is just some normal and temporary blip in performance, you're basically reading the entire situation wrong.