Huberdeau's agent: "Negativity sucks the joy right out of players"

[Ferarri]

I'm having a hard time trying to conceptualize what Huberdeau and his agent want. He's been given a lot of opportunities to succeed and hasn't run with it. I assume he means doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. But let's look at the facts, he's been put on lines 1, 2 and 3 at various points in the season. He gets first line PP minutes and provided with shootout opportunities. Sutter has given him different line mates from centres to wingers, veterans and rookies and still nothing to show for it.

If he wants to try something different then what's his magical solution? My guess is he feels slighted that his ice time is down from his Florida days. Well guess what, even if he was given that extra 5 minutes or more a night, is he going to run with it? There has been nothing in his game that indicates that the missing piece is more ice time. So if I'm Sutter of course I'm frustrated that he's trying different things and still can't solve the mystery. Also, he's paid handsomely to be elite and when his contract kicks in next year his numbers from this season don't justify that kind of pay hike.

If Huberdeau is complaining about the negativity then that can be a legitimate point. But it's bs to state that he hasn't been afforded opportunities. Quite frankly he just hasn't run with it. At some point there has to be a leash for a player not performing, but this isn't really happening. As I said he is still getting plenty of looks on the 1A/1B top line and PP unit 1. His OT minutes have been cut, but can you blame the coach? He butchered his time with his 3 on 3 play and cost us a couple of games.

I think the most telling sign was that Florida wanted to ditch this guy in favor of Tkachuk. He had put up career numbers and close to 120 points, yet Florida said no thank you we would rather have someone else. With Tkachuk analysts would always say that he was the type of player that all 31 other teams would want on their side. I can't say anyone is advocating the same for Huberdeau.

Perhaps they saw what we are seeing now and that he just isn't the guy you build around. Being in the east coast I'm sure not many of us followed his game very closely. I'm almost certain at this point that the Panthers were onto something and had no hesitation moving him for someone who brought a more complete game. At least when Tkachuk wasn't performing he was doing other things like creating momentum, big hits and generally being a pain in the ass (which I'm sure many will argue was a distraction and hinderance, but I disagree).

Huberdeau hasn't shown anything and it's quite rich to blame the coach for his poor play. Darryl has many faults but he has given him plenty of chances, line mates and opportunities. To answer Walsh's question about insanity maybe he's right. Perhaps it's time we do try something different and he has a few nights in the press box.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Yep, an agent wouldn’t risk losing millions of dollars on some nothing tweet. His players may not write the tweets, but they all definitely give it the okay. There’s too much on the line for Walsh to go behind a player’s back, doing so would seriously violate trust and that would sour him from current and future prospects as well.

I’ll say this though, if I’m a teammate in that dressing room, I’m not too happy with Huberdeau. The team is in a tight race to make the playoffs and every game is crucial. But instead, their $84M superstar who’s had a terrible year is making it all about him, playing the victim and creating a massive national distraction that ends up dragging them into this juvenile conflict. I definitely wouldn’t be the first to defend this guy who’s had an easy ride yet has played like trash and is about to earn millions upon millions more than me. Athletes and their partners are jealous by nature, so I could see this being a big talking point especially when a guy isn’t earning his paycheck.

It’s gotta feel like when the lazy pampered guy at the office who out earns everyone and has their own corner office with a view complains that their job or life is too hard despite everyone else having to pick up his slack. Everybody hates that guy.

How do you figure he’d lose millions? He made his commission on the contract, I think.

I suspect Walsh’s deals give him a lot of autonomy. Plus, it’s not like most NHL players are deep thinkers. If their agent says “this is a good idea” they often don’t question it. Walsh got Huberdeau a lot of money. I don’t think the tweet was a good idea, but if he had to I bet Wlash could sell Huberdeau on it.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

I would be embarrassed if I were Huberdeau. His teammates played their asses off last season to win the division last year. Here he is, soon to be the highest paid player on the team, 52 games into his career as a Flame, and has his agent air his grievances? I would be fine if he was no longer a Flame.

Yeah this situation reminds me way too much of James Neal's tenure here. Prolific and consistent scorer prior to joining the Flames, plays well below expectations in year 1, coaching clash, massive contract on the books, off ice drama, just not enough due diligence on management's part back then and not enough now.

For the record, I'm not saying Huberdeau is as bad as James Neal as he was laughably bad. But I really hate the fact that that Treliving re-signed him before he played even one game as a Flame. I wasn't supportive of the trade when it happened and was even less enthused when I heard he re-upped. At the very least, we'd have the option of trading him and/or Weegar if they were rentals to recoup some very nice assets.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Doesn't he?

I doubt MA Fleury told him to tweet a picture of the golden knights sword stabbing him in the back that time.

I'm sure Huberdeau has shared some discussions with Walsh. I'm sure Huberdeau has complained about how things are going in Calgary this year. Maybe they've even had discussions about publicly sharing some displeasure.

But did Huberdeau jump on the phone last night right after the loss and go:

"Hey Alan, send the tweet"

Doubtful.

Yup. There’s a lot of space between “Wlash doesn’t tweet without permission” and “Walsh went over this particular wording with Huberdeau and now H is lying”.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

I would be embarrassed if I were Huberdeau. His teammates played their asses off last season to win the division last year. Here he is, soon to be the highest paid player on the team, 52 games into his career as a Flame, and has his agent air his grievances? I would be fine if he was no longer a Flame.

I would be much happier if Sutter was shown the door over hubby. Plus as I’ve posted before Walsh comment was about the flames in general not hubby vs Sutter.

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by zunie75

The fact that Sutter felt he had unfinished business or owed the team something and that's why he came out of retirement, doesn't make him the right coach for the team. Like great, thank you for the loyalty Sutter, now fix your defunct system and play to the strengths of the team.

What exactly are the strengths of this team? Honestly its looks like they are mediocre at everything and terrible in goal.

[bubbsy]

Huberdeau has come across as a bit of a mentally weak player since his arrival here.

Hiding behind his agent and (presumably) ok’ing his agent to take to twitter just furthers this notion to me.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1626703039204585475

[topfiverecords]

Walshy got his hand slapped.

[Odin36]

Clearly, we have missed the obvious, in that this was all about Walsh's other Calgary Flames Org client...Nick DeSimone.

[MillerTime GFG]

I dunno...I don't really feel like he's denying he gave the go ahead for that tweet.

[Phil Russell]

The reason I am critical of Sutter is that the team's problems are way bigger than Huberdeau. The team hasn't gelled, multiple players are underachieving, and the system isn't producing results, and hasn't since a really demoralizing playoff loss last spring. I think the responsibility is ultimately on the coaching staff to solve the problem and fix these things. These are very good players. I think that the coaches system is more likely where blame lies than on two, four, six, very good players all trying hard but failing to succeed. A coach should adapt when systems fail--I don't think Sutter is capable.

[btimbit]

Flames just need to suck every second season, I don't read too much into it other than that. They could change almost nothing next season and somehow it to the WCF, then the next year miss the playoffs by 10 points. It's the Calgary Flames way

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by Phil Russell

multiple players are underachieving.

Markstrom, Huberdeau and Mangiapane. Who else do you have in this group that's underachieving?

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

Markstrom, Huberdeau and Mangiapane. Who else do you have in this group that's underachieving?

Weegar, Vladar hasn't grown at all, Kadri's PPG has dropped from 1.23 to 0.73

Huberdeau, Kadri, and Mangiapane - your three highest paid forwards, are all not performing.

Your #1 goalie is legitimately bad, and the backup isn't really any better. Your soon to be highest paid defenceman has gone from 0.55PPG to 0.3PPG.

This is not a problem isolated to Huberdeau.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

Markstrom, Huberdeau and Mangiapane. Who else do you have in this group that's underachieving?

Lucic, Ruzicka, Kadri maybe. I find Coleman to be better now, but underachieved earlier.

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Your #1 goalie is legitimately bad, and the backup isn't really any better.

That is the story of the season right there. Despite what everyone else is trying to make it.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Weegar, Vladar hasn't grown at all, Kadri's PPG has dropped from 1.23 to 0.73

Huberdeau, Kadri, and Mangiapane - your three highest paid forwards, are all not performing.

Your #1 goalie is legitimately bad, and the backup isn't really any better. Your soon to be highest paid defenceman has gone from 0.55PPG to 0.3PPG.

This is not a problem isolated to Huberdeau.

Come on now. Kadri is above his career average.

Is this post trying to be funny?

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

How do you figure he’d lose millions? He made his commission on the contract, I think.

I suspect Walsh’s deals give him a lot of autonomy. Plus, it’s not like most NHL players are deep thinkers. If their agent says “this is a good idea” they often don’t question it. Walsh got Huberdeau a lot of money. I don’t think the tweet was a good idea, but if he had to I bet Wlash could sell Huberdeau on it.

I'm more so talking about the millions he'd lose from the loss of trust from current and future clients. I have no idea how agent commissions work in regards to contracts. But all I know is, he definitely receives approval from his clients as nobody would want to be represented by a rogue hockey agent.

I don't doubt that it's Walsh's idea and I think by now, most players have already seen his schtick and know what to expect from these publicity stunts. Who knows, maybe they're effective and that's why Walsh keeps doing it.

Still though, I think it's a pretty immature tactic to get results the easy way. I'd respect an agent/player a lot more who puts his head down and plows through the mud and put in the hard work to achieve more favorable results rather than complain just to get their way.

[Kasi]

Hanifin would be on the lists of disappointments too.