The Panthers did change their style of play, and had identified Huberdeau as someone that didn't fit the way they wanted to play. Winning a president's trophy is not the same thing as being a solid playoff team at times, and they specifically had to find a way to get through Tampa.
I think Huberdeau would have struggled in Florida had he remained there. Probably not to the same degree as he struggled here in Calgary as there were many other changes that he had to adapt to.
As someone who criticized Huberdeau a LOT in his first two seasons here, I don't think I have criticized him once at all last season. He is a guy you win with now. Yes, the salary may be a tad high, but I think he is the type of player you can now win with in a long playoff series. He is good in all three zones. He doesn't turn over pucks any longer (and there were days I thought he was secretly wearing the opposing team's jersey underneath the Calgary one!), he is great along the boards, he is great in the middle of the ice, he is great on the PK, on the PP, he is great in front of the net, great in the slot.. he is a complete player now.
Everyone talks about Weegar being the next captain, but I think it may be Huberdeau. I can only imagine how he was a 'hero' in Florida, and then suddenly getting traded to Calgary and then have the distinction of breaking the NHL record for most drop-off in points, to being widely pointed at as the worst contract in the entire league, to being benched in a game by Huska and having a HUGE story made out of it - never once did he hide from the media. Never once did he blame someone else, or anyone other than himself. He never gave up. From day one here, I saw him working hard and he continues to be a hard-working player today.
I love Huberdeau now. I don't think he will go down as my favourite Flame of all time, but I really do love the player and the person that he is. I never hated him - I don't really hate players unless they are bad characters, regardless of performance. I never hated Gary Leeman, for instance, since it wasn't as if he forced the trade to happen. I felt sorry for Gary Leeman, but I never loved him either. Huberdeau just stuck with it. He did his best. I just love how he never shied away from anything and just battled until he reinvented himself as a really complete player.
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