[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Ferarri

Other posters have touched on these points, but these are the options I see available - and to be honest they aren’t great which is to be expected given his play.

1. Status Quo – Basically continuing utilizing him in the same way you are now with the exception of changing linemates when things get stale or you want a spark. You accept the player for what he is, which isn’t very good, and you come to the conclusion that this is a terrible contract that hinders the organization. Maybe he offers some leadership to the kids but he is ultimately nothing more than what we’ve seen.

2. Coaching System – If you really want one last attempt to salvage this then utilize what the Panthers did with him and try to reignite his game. The potential downfall of this is this isn’t the Flames way of what the GM or coach has preached. They want to focus on defensive play first and playing responsibly without the puck. Also, are you willing to sacrifice the development of young guys by playing a system that moves away from this philosophy? How much are you willing to appease a player and salvage this contract is the main question.

3. Trade – Perhaps there’s a GM out there that is frustrated with their “star” player and thinks that a change of scenery is the answer. You could get someone to bite if they believe they can reform Huberdeau, however, his contract makes this scenario highly unlikely. Not only that, what would the cost be considering this has been labelled one of if not the worst contracts in the league.

4. Buyout – Maybe you get lucky and at some point there is a compliance buyout (let’s be serious, the Flames never get any sort of luck) but nonetheless it could be an option. Other than that, the likelihood of buying him out now just isn’t realistic given the penalty. Moving forward you continue to pay and play him until the contract winds down into its latter years

5. Retirement – This of course is the dream scenario but also highly unrealistic given the money on the table. Maybe at some point Huberdeau starts to feel the way Lucic did and realizes hockey just isn’t fun anymore. We don’t know what’s going on in his head and potentially the pressure of the contract gets to him along with negative media/fan support and he choses to step away.

Not many great options available but something to think about even if it makes your head hurt.

Lucic didn’t retire.