[PGT] Flames beat Habs 2-1

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by GoatMonkey

People are pretty hard on Huberdeau, but I don't think anybody here can possibly imagine what he has been going through since the trade.

Imagine being the best or among the best at what you do for your entire life and then--immediately following the best season of your career--it's just gone. It doesn't matter what you do or how hard you train, it's just gone. Things that have always worked don't work anymore. And there is no turnaround in sight.

It's no wonder he seems a bit lost out there, and I hope he can find his way back--mostly for his (and the team's) sake and partly so I can enjoy reading CP again. The Huberdeau hate-fest circle jerk spam from some posters is unbearable.

GFG

And what evidence do you have that he’s working super duper hard?

There is almost no chance he is working really hard. I don’t see it, do you? Do you think after you get given $80mm guaranteed you’d keep working hard?

That’s why the Flames need to do a rebuild. Motivation in the NHL comes from 2 things: desire to win a cup, money. That’s it. So after you pay a guy, you’ve eliminated one. You then have to pray the person is professional enough to outwork other teams on a nightly basis for the chance to win a cup. The Flames aren’t in a position to win a cup. So here’s your Huberdeau.

So that’s why you rebuild in Calgary. Players want money. When they’re drafted they don’t have it. They have to play hard and well. Maybe 1-5% of NHL players are freaks of nature like McDavid or Crosby where even after being paid they continue to perform. The majority after big contracts suck. Because you’ve stripped them of all incentive but for a championship.

It’s why UFAs are not how you build championships. It’s why, when contracts have NMC and NTC, if you’re Calgary, you MUST build through the draft. It’s why thinking trading for Nylander and signing to a massive contract is doubling down on the poor strategy that got us here in the first place instead of learning from mistakes.

Huberdeau is not even close to “working hard”.

[D as in David]

It's been a pretty good debut for our 21st-ranked (2023) prospect.

[Ferarri]

Originally Posted by GoatMonkey

People are pretty hard on Huberdeau, but I don't think anybody here can possibly imagine what he has been going through since the trade.

Imagine being the best or among the best at what you do for your entire life and then--immediately following the best season of your career--it's just gone. It doesn't matter what you do or how hard you train, it's just gone. Things that have always worked don't work anymore. And there is no turnaround in sight.

It's no wonder he seems a bit lost out there, and I hope he can find his way back--mostly for his (and the team's) sake and partly so I can enjoy reading CP again. The Huberdeau hate-fest circle jerk spam from some posters is unbearable.

GFG

I think a lot of people sympathize with Huberdeau the individual and hate to see what’s happened to his game. Seeing a player decline like this and the emotions associated with it are tough to watch (even if you dislike what he brings).

On the flip side, the contract he signed comes with big expectations. The dollar value given makes him the highest paid Flame of all time. It’s unfortunate to see him struggle but the club can’t afford to have this much negative value invested in one guy. As others have mentioned, you can’t even make the argument that he’s been “okay” or “decent” most nights as his game just isn’t there and it’s making the people around him worse.

The Flames have done a lot to appease him whether it’s getting rid of a toxic coach, having an emphasis on offensive zone creativity (at least according to Huska) and having guys like Conroy phoning him in the summer and telling him that he’s an important piece of the puzzle and they want to build around him. Now we are starting to see player rotation in and attempt to find chemistry with others.

At this point now it is completely on Huberdeau. He needs to find a way to elevate his game and start living up to that contract (even if it buys him a trade out of this environment). This has to be a partnership and the Flames have shown a ton of goodwill in his favour.

The point I’m making is that he isn’t paid to be awful or even mediocre. The attacks against his play are warranted due to his stature and how he fits into the salary cap structure. It may be unfair given where his confidence is but the league is a business and he needs to perform (even if it’s just for his own sake out of here)

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by GoatMonkey

People are pretty hard on Huberdeau, but I don't think anybody here can possibly imagine what he has been going through since the trade.

Imagine being the best or among the best at what you do for your entire life and then--immediately following the best season of your career--it's just gone. It doesn't matter what you do or how hard you train, it's just gone. Things that have always worked don't work anymore. And there is no turnaround in sight.

It's no wonder he seems a bit lost out there, and I hope he can find his way back--mostly for his (and the team's) sake and partly so I can enjoy reading CP again. The Huberdeau hate-fest circle jerk spam from some posters is unbearable.

GFG

I’m a Flames fan, not Huberdeau’s friend. Sure, it must be difficult, but maybe think of that before the other 84 million reasons change your mind?

If we were friends I wouldn’t be politely criticizing him here, but we aren’t. Pretty sure Huberdeau isn’t out there possibly imagining what we all have to go through every day.

[Delthefunky]

Enjoyed that game. Marky definitely earned us the win. Feel like the team is working hard, and I can always cheer for that.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

I said it before, but when Pelletier comes back, put him with Hubie and watch the two of them tear it right up.

He'll do it mostly through pep talks (en francais, probably).

[FlameFan21]

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

I said it before, but when Pelletier comes back, put him with Hubie and watch the two of them tear it right up.

They did look good for a while. I hope you're right. What is the timeline on Pelletier's injury?

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Connor for Calder!

We should try to get this trending

[tkflames]

Originally Posted by GoatMonkey

People are pretty hard on Huberdeau, but I don't think anybody here can possibly imagine what he has been going through since the trade.

Imagine being the best or among the best at what you do for your entire life and then--immediately following the best season of your career--it's just gone. It doesn't matter what you do or how hard you train, it's just gone. Things that have always worked don't work anymore. And there is no turnaround in sight.

It's no wonder he seems a bit lost out there, and I hope he can find his way back--mostly for his (and the team's) sake and partly so I can enjoy reading CP again. The Huberdeau hate-fest circle jerk spam from some posters is unbearable.

GFG

Pretty sure he isn't empathetic to the season ticket holder he has ripped off or any other flames fan that is stuck with a mediocre team in both the short term and long term because so much capspace is wasted on him...

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

We should try to get this trending

Won’t be difficult when everyone thinks we mean Bedard.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

We should try to get this trending

"No no, the other one."

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by tkflames

Pretty sure he isn't empathetic to the season ticket holder he has ripped off

Do you honestly believe tickets would be any cheaper if Huberdeau was not on the team?

[Locke]

Alright...showcase game for Huberdeau against his hometown team and....

Can we trade him to Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg? Or maybe The Admiral Vladivostok?

Huberdeau is worse than useless. Seriously, he'd be providing better value refilling water bottles and re-stocking towels but his salary would set a poor precedent for the rest of the support staff.

"Monsieur....you put ze water in ze Gatorade bottle!!"

- "Oh! Zut alors!!"

I'd trade him to the Moon for...I dont know, what do they have?...sand and rocks? Sure. That.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Just won an exciting game where Markstrom played great with Zary scoring the winner… and you are all complaining about Huberdeau.

People wouldn’t be complaining if he was earning the $10.5 million price tag + signing bonuses. But alas, here we are….

[Hockey_Ninja]

I do genuinely feel for Huby though. Nobody saw him dropping off like this. I think the best hope for him to become productive again is for the Flames to get some blue chip forward prospects to come in and take the pressure off of him so that he doesn’t have to be “the guy”. In Florida he played behind Barkov and didn’t always have to be “the guy”. I think mentally that’s one of the biggest things that’s affecting him

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Goriders

I’d put him on waivers

You can’t, but for what purpose anyway?

He would go unclaimed.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

I said it before, but when Pelletier comes back, put him with Hubie and watch the two of them tear it right up.

I think that is all there is left to try.

That, or seeing how effective he is working the concession stands.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

I do genuinely feel for Huby though. Nobody saw him dropping off like this. I think the best hope for him to become productive again is for the Flames to get some blue chip forward prospects to come in and take the pressure off of him so that he doesn’t have to be “the guy”. In Florida he played behind Barkov and didn’t always have to be “the guy”. I think mentally that’s one of the biggest things that’s affecting him

Barkov being "the guy" kept pressure off Huberdeau? That team plays in a parking lot behind Everglades National Park where hardly a soul even knows who Barkov is. The only pressure is avoiding stray alligators and wondering how many advertising flyers will be left under your windshield wiper.

[GoatMonkey]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

And what evidence do you have that he’s working super duper hard?

....

I learned long ago not to play chess with pigeons. And you seem like a pigeon.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Barkov being "the guy" kept pressure off Huberdeau? That team plays in a parking lot behind Everglades National Park where hardly a soul even knows who Barkov is. The only pressure is avoiding stray alligators and wondering how many advertising flyers will be left under your windshield wiper.

FWIW, the Panther are averaging 670 more fans per night than the flames.