What to do with Huberdeau?

[Ozy_Flame]

Not laughable. What type of players worked well with Huby in Florida? What about the type of hockey?

Do any of our current players really feed that dynamic?

[ForeverFlameFan]

Huberdeau did some wacky passes he likes doing and Zary was actually catching on. I'd like to give Zary and Huberdeau a chance together.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by AFireInside

I'm just not sure what anyone is expecting. He's a playmaker playing with players who aren't really goal scorers. He makes multiple nice passes every game to guys who aren't shooters.

He makes bad plays too but if his linemates were finishing more often people would ignore those mistakes like they are currently doing with Kadri.

With his cap hit there are obviously going to be massive expectations. Him and his agent undoubtedly sat in Treliving's office, looked him in the eye and made their case that he would be a franchise-type player they could build around, be a dynamic gamebreaker and a superstar player to go up against the best in the West. That is what 10.5M should get you. I personally don't buy that the blame is on his teammates, or lack thereof, of not finishing his passes. This is the NHL. Every single player makes nice passes each and every game. Almost all players can shoot. If other elite passers in the game can turn their "bum" linemates into goal scorers, for 10.5M, Huberdeau should be able to do the same.

Player's don't get to hide behind the veil of "I need 2 of these guys to live up to my cap hit". If that's the case, then maybe the discussion in BT's office should have been how before I sign on this dotted line, let's make sure I have the proper players around me. Lindholm, Mangiapane, Zary, etc are all good shooters and he has been tried with each. He has failed miserably.

I want the guy to succeed as much as anybody. But this is rough now. Very very rough.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I do feel like there’s a lot of people looking hard for mistakes, so they can complain about salary.

No one has to look very hard, his lack of production is staring everyone in the face every game.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Huberdeau did some wacky passes he likes doing and Zary was actually catching on. I'd like to give Zary and Huberdeau a chance together.

Zary is playing so well, i would not risk that. there is a reason nobodys game is improved by playing with Huberdeau sadly.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

No one has to look very hard, his lack of production is staring everyone in the face every game.

Lack of production =/= mistakes, which is what I’m talking about. There are a bunch of posters who wait for him to miss a pass so they can make what they believe is a clever remark (for the 10th time). There’s a whole bunch of things going wrong in Huberdeau’s game, but missing a pass trying to make a tough play or getting blocked on a shot just isn’t unusual for any player. It’s trivial and silly. Same posters are silent on the other 90% of passes that are made, and pretty quiet on everyone else’s plays as well.

[CliffFletcher]

If the guy’s skillset is so unique that he can’t mesh with any of the other 11 forwards on an NHL roster, maybe the problem is him.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

If the guy’s skillset is so unique that he can’t mesh with any of the other 11 forwards on an NHL roster, maybe the problem is him.

Who cares whose problem it is? How to fix it is the more important issue.

But let me ask this in reverse - if Huberdeau can produce with Sam Bennett and Anthony Duclair, why are none of the 11 other Flames capable of doing what they did?

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Lack of production =/= mistakes, which is what I’m talking about. There are a bunch of posters who wait for him to miss a pass so they can make what they believe is a clever remark (for the 10th time). There’s a whole bunch of things going wrong in Huberdeau’s game, but missing a pass trying to make a tough play or getting blocked on a shot just isn’t unusual for any player. It’s trivial and silly. Same posters are silent on the other 90% of passes that are made, and pretty quiet on everyone else’s plays as well.

Interesting, I see the exact opposite.
His defenders look for any average mundane play, a connected pass, a back check, a body check and highlight it.
The people complaining about him don't have to look hard for anything; it's painfully evident.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Who cares whose problem it is? How to fix it is the more important issue.

But let me ask this in reverse - if Huberdeau can produce with Sam Bennett and Anthony Duclair, why are none of the 11 other Flames capable of doing what they did?

I have no idea. But it’s not because they’re all worse at hockey. I expect it’s a combination of A) Huberdeau has always had a very narrow skillset B) There were very specific elements at play that enabled him to have a handful of great seasons in Florida, C) Huberdeau’s game - especially his quickness - is now declining rapidly due to age.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I have no idea. But it’s not because they’re all worse at hockey. I expect it’s a combination of A) Huberdeau has always had a very narrow skillset B) There were very specific elements at play that enabled him to have a handful of great seasons in Florida, C) Huberdeau’s game - especially his quickness - is now declining rapidly due to age.

A handful of great seasons? You mean his last 5? As for age - he went from 115 points at age 28 to 55 at age 29. He didn’t lose 60 points of quickness in a year. There’s more complex issues here. And I agree it’s not because there are worse players - Bennett and Duclair are nothing special. It’s a combination of style of play, willingness to go certain places on the ice and being prepared to receive his passes (and in turn his confidence that they will be there).

I think he’s used to players being where he was passing. They weren’t and the production dropped, which affected his confidence and now he overthinks his plays, resulting in slow decision making.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I think you sell Mangiapane/Dube in the offseason or sooner and sign Duclair and hope some kind of familiarity sparks at least .75 - .8ppg production again.

[Burning Beard]

I feel like it's not a big stretch to see why fans want to complain about a player who is taking up roughly 1/8 of this team's salary cap being completely invisible most nights. I can't recall a single game since he was a flame where he took over and won this team a game. He seems like a decent guy who is trying but at his salary I feel the complaints are warranted. If he does not turn it around this will be the worst contract in the NHL and we didnt even see one decent stretch of games out of him let alone a whole season or two.

They have played him with everyone on the roster and he hasn't clicked with one of them. I would be very disappointed if they spend to bring in Duclair because I can't see how one more average player can turn his game around.

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

I think you sell Mangiapane/Dube in the offseason or sooner and sign Duclair and hope some kind of familiarity sparks at least .75 - .8ppg production again.

Wow does that ever sound terrible for what he was paid and what was expected.

[GFG#1]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Lack of production =/= mistakes, which is what I’m talking about. There are a bunch of posters who wait for him to miss a pass so they can make what they believe is a clever remark (for the 10th time). There’s a whole bunch of things going wrong in Huberdeau’s game, but missing a pass trying to make a tough play or getting blocked on a shot just isn’t unusual for any player. It’s trivial and silly. Same posters are silent on the other 90% of passes that are made, and pretty quiet on everyone else’s plays as well.

The only way Huberdeau is completing 90% of his passes are if you are including the ones he makes to the other team.

You keep beating the same drum, but you must be watching different games. Once he touches the puck 90% of the time the puck is going the other way.

Ice time is earned he has been given his grace period for adapting, now it is time for his ice time to reflect his play. If he starts to play better, he can earn more time. He definitely should not be on the power play or on the ice when we pull the goalie for an extra attacker. He has done nothing in a Flames uniform that warrants top tier minutes or power play time.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by GFG#1

The only way Huberdeau is completing 90% of his passes are if you are including the ones he makes to the other team.

You keep beating the same drum, but you must be watching different games. Once he touches the puck 90% of the time the puck is going the other way.

Ice time is earned he has been given his grace period for adapting, now it is time for his ice time to reflect his play. If he starts to play better, he can earn more time. He definitely should not be on the power play or on the ice when we pull the goalie for an extra attacker. He has done nothing in a Flames uniform that warrants top tier minutes or power play time.

I think you have to ignore his salary in both directions when making a decision. You don't give him 1st line minutes and PP1 time because he makes $10.5M and you also don't scratch him and play Walker Duehr because he's not living up to his contract.

Even at his reduced performance - its impossible to find 7/8 forwards on this team who should be on the PP over him.

[Erick Estrada]

I kind of think that him continuing his current trajectory is exactly what the Flames need this season (clearly in future seasons it would be nice for him to get out of this funk) to bottom out into a top 5 pick. This team isn't very good and if Huberdeau started producing at a point a game clip then all that does is add a few extra wins that the team really doesn't need in the big picture. Lots of people talk about the team needing to rebuild but you have to embrace the losing and not continually complain about it. This team is trending into a top 5 pick and that's the best thing that could happen for this organization. Huby stinking out the joint this season is not necessarily a bad thing.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by GFG#1

Ice time is earned he has been given his grace period for adapting, now it is time for his ice time to reflect his play. If he starts to play better, he can earn more time. He definitely should not be on the power play or on the ice when we pull the goalie for an extra attacker. He has done nothing in a Flames uniform that warrants top tier minutes or power play time.

What’s the point in restricting his ice time outside of being mad at his contract and that he is sucking right now. If the Flames were competing for a playoff spot then I understand you minimize his minutes but the Flames are going to be a bottom 5 team over the next three seasons and there is way more incentive for them to get Huberdeau going then having him play 4th line minutes.

[Jiggy]

His GAF meter is at zero. Not because he doesn't care, it's cause he has no confidence in his game.

He loses board battles, he's gets outmatched on 50/50 battles.

And now Sutter is gone and there is no one else to blame.

It's a ####ty situation.

[PeteMoss]

Move on to the acceptance stage lads. It is what it is. No point in raging about it when you've got 8 years of it ahead of you.

The lesson to be learned is don't have a lame duck GM making decisions that impact you long term. I don't even care about the trade itself - but the contracts Trelving gave out before walking out the door were ridiculous. D.Sutter went nearly as wacko with brutal moves before he was let go.