What to do with Huberdeau?

[FBI]

Man.. This guy looks like a shell of a man compared to last year. It’s really sad. Curious as to what you guys think we can do here. Something has to change.

[Passe La Puck]

Cheaper to find a better coach.

[GullFoss]

Is it the player, the system he's being asked to play, or the players he is playing with?

The answer to that dictates the response.

[burn_this_city]

Both him and Weegar are leaving a lot to be desired. Hopefully a down year for both after a shock trade.

[ComixZone]

There’s nothing that can be reasonably done.

It’s a really bad Head Coach/Player mix. The team is also very untalented/struggles to play with pace.

It’s also not a problem exclusive to Huberdeau. The team doesn’t generate quality scoring chances, and one player can’t generate scoring chances on their own.

[MegaErtz]

Nothing will change. We're on the hook for eight more years and eighty-four million dollars. Good luck moving that contract.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by FBI

Man.. This guy looks like a shell of a man compared to last year. It’s really sad. Curious as to what you guys think we can do here. Something has to change.

They've invested way more into the player than the coach. Hate to use the coach as the excuse but it seems nobody is playing anywhere near their potential under Sutter.

So gotta try a new voice. That also means there will be a new gm as well which I'd be okay with.

[CroFlames]

Unless you trade him for pennies on the dollar, you aren’t doing anything with him.

You live with him.

[SuperMatt18]

Nobody can generate offensive quality, so its not just him.

Last year the top line didn't play the system Sutter has the team playing this year. They would take more risk and try to generate quality with cross ice passes.

This team this year is playing the no risk Geoff Ward hockey. Nobody plays with speed and the entire offensive zone system is dump it in, cycle, and take a weak shot from the outside.

Huberdeau needs to be better too, but for the most part he's playing Sutter's system and his skillset just isn't a fit

[kyuss275]

Him and Sutter are not a good mix.

[N-E-B]

I don’t think trading him is an option. I don’t know what they can really do about it at this point. The future seems pretty bleak right now.

[SaskyFlamesFan]

It could be an interesting off season. I would keep him, give him a little bit more to figure it out. But things need to change around him. There are a bunch of free agents after next year. If you aren’t keeping them around, trade them in the offseason. Get some young assets back and start building for 3-4 years from now.

You could get some good young pieces for Lindholm, Hanifin, Tanev, Toffoli, Zadorov.

Give Pelletier, Zary, Coronato some room to grow and go from there. If you keep all those guys we are right back here next year.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Nobody is trading for his contract at this point so we’re stuck with him. The only thing you can honestly do at this point is hire a coach who will let him cheat a lot more to create offense. He’s just not a Darryl Sutter type of player

[neo45]

Fire Sutter because the problems with the team are his fault and go much further than Huberdeau


Wont happen though

[Flamesfan05]

Ask if Montreal wants him, he speaks French

[Igottago]

The Flames actually have to hope its incompatibility with Sutter, because if Huberdeau's game has just dropped off a cliff they are screwed with any other coaches as well and this contract is a downright disaster.
I haven't seen any glimpses of anything special from the player since the first few games of the season. He's completely lost.

[iamca]

Fire him into the sun…

Seriously, because of Tre’s overzealous move to extend him before he suited up for a single game the Flames are stuck with him.

Nobody takes on this contract, no freaking way.


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[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Nobody can generate offensive quality, so its not just him.

Well, he is kind of supposed to be an elite playmaker helping those guys pot points. It's funny how Tkachuk and Gaudreau could do it, but Huberdeau can't.

I can't see coaching being the issue when the GAF factor is not existent with Huberdeau. If he at least tried as hard as guys like Kadri, Mangiapane, Dube, Coleman, Backlund, Lindholm... well, pretty much everyone, he would be getting points. I have no doubt of that.

Honestly, trading him for pennies on the dollar would be amazing right now. I would trade him for literally nothing but the cap space if possible.

[JurassicTunga12]

I don't think it's purely on coaching/systems. The guy looks like he has Lucic hands. I haven't seen really seen any assertiveness handling the puck.

[traptor]

Feels like we're married to him for the next decade.

You gotta adjust anything and everything to get him going. That might mean aggressively trying to acquire players he would sync with or maybe even trying new coaching.

That contract is unmoveable at the moment.

Although I haven't seen much to even believe he can get going.