What to do with Huberdeau?

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Any maybe thats why he generates no offence. It might be that he needs to cheat to generate plays for whatever reason. Maybe he doesn't have the energy and/or speed to play a two way game.

In those highlights...where is he when the play transitions to offense?

Generally in Florida they were flying the zone a bit to generate offense or were being aggressive in the neutral zone to generate turnovers to get rush chances.

Flames really don't do either of those things. I feel like our neutral zone system is very passive, and we also don't really fly the offensive zone. Lots of collapsing and breaking out as a single unit. And honestly he's the last man back in our zone a lot in Calgary, or last man entering the offensive zone, which you would never see in Florida.

Really none of those things seem to mesh with how Huberdeau generated offense in Florida.

It seems like he should be able to generate off the cycle, he's decent along the boards and can win board battles, but he struggles making plays without time and space. And generally it's tough to find that time and space along the wall off the cycle, without being able to use your feet to create separation.

Overall they do need to seem to figure out if there is a way to unlock him a bit off the rush.

[chedder]

How good can a player be if he needs the most specific of linemates and systems or else he looks like a Ford Pinto? You put a true top line, play-driving player on any team and that team looks better. This team looks better when Huberdeau isn't on the ice. Sometimes I start to feel sorry for him as he's obviously a proud guy. Then I remember he's being paid 84 million dollars.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by chedder

How good can a player be if he needs the most specific of linemates and systems or else he looks like a Ford Pinto? You put a true top line, play-driving player on any team and that team looks better. This team looks better when Huberdeau isn't on the ice. Sometimes I start to feel sorry for him as he's obviously a proud guy. Then I remember he's being paid 84 million dollars.

I think lots of players struggle in different systems at different times. Huberdeau is likely the most expensive and most jarring example of it though.

But guys like Skinner, Brown, Seguin, etc have all had really different offensive production and effectiveness in different systems or structures.

Problem being that in those cases maybe they weren't true play driving forwards. Huberdeau had great production, but was never a guy that was driving strong underlying analytics that usually are associated with playdriving.

He's cheating less, and playing in a more structured and defensively responsible system, and the offense has dried up completely by doing that.

And the Flames don't necessarily need to start cheating, but they do as a team need to figure out how to be more effective off the rush. Generally that's still the best way to generate offense and this team is just terrible at generating offense that way...maybe they should start cheating, the tend to give up a ton of odd man rushes when they make a mistake after their prolonged offensive zone time anyways.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I think lots of players struggle in different systems at different times. Huberdeau is likely the most expensive and most jarring example of it though.

But guys like Skinner, Brown, Seguin, etc have all had really different offensive production and effectiveness in different systems or structures.

Problem being that in those cases maybe they weren't true play driving forwards. Huberdeau had great production, but was never a guy that was driving strong underlying analytics that usually are associated with playdriving.

He's cheating less, and playing in a more structured and defensively responsible system, and the offense has dried up completely by doing that.

And the Flames don't necessarily need to start cheating, but they do as a team need to figure out how to be more effective off the rush. Generally that's still the best way to generate offense and this team is just terrible at generating offense that way...maybe they should start cheating, the tend to give up a ton of odd man rushes when they make a mistake after their prolonged offensive zone time anyways.

I think their lack of true puck moving dmen is perhaps causing the problem. And it really shows up on the PP.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

I agree with an earlier take. The guy makes one or two genius passes a game. If someone could actually put half of those in the net, we'd be ignoring his warts (and winning hockey games).

I think Lindholm may have a personal vendetta against him, and purposely shoots wide of open nets in these situations.

And by doing so he tanks his own value? Highly doubtful.


The first part is accurate.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I don’t buy the notion that a half-dozen people in Flames management and scouting were all bad at their jobs. I expect they had a pretty good handle on what kind of player Huberdeau is and his limitations.

They didn’t sign Huberdeau because they believed he was something that he isn’t. They signed him because after the departures of Gaudreau and Tkachuk, the Flames were in jeopardy of being regarded as a train-wreck of a franchise. Media all over North America were asking what was wrong with Calgary and why nobody wanted to play there. Signing Huberdeau (who had just finished 3rd in league scoring) and Kadri (who was the biggest fish in the UFA pond that summer) was about changing the narrative that the Flames were a sad-sack, bottom-tier franchise.

...and now we're a sad-sack, bottom-tier franchise. Howzabout that!

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I don’t buy the notion that a half-dozen people in Flames management and scouting were all bad at their jobs. I expect they had a pretty good handle on what kind of player Huberdeau is and his limitations.

They didn’t sign Huberdeau because they believed he was something that he isn’t. They signed him because after the departures of Gaudreau and Tkachuk, the Flames were in jeopardy of being regarded as a train-wreck of a franchise. Media all over North America were asking what was wrong with Calgary and why nobody wanted to play there. Signing Huberdeau (who had just finished 3rd in league scoring) and Kadri (who was the biggest fish in the UFA pond that summer) was about changing the narrative that the Flames were a sad-sack, bottom-tier franchise.

So they gave $84MM to a player that they knew was flawed?

To what end?

If they really believed that they would’ve have traded for him or would have immediately flipped him.

[traptor]

It was a panic move.

They didn't have time to fully assess Hubrrdeau as a fit. They saw the name, saw the numbers and that was that.

Most expected a drop off just nowhere near to the level it was. Most thought it was an overpay at the time but felt the flames had to do it to save face.


Zito got us good and sold us a lemon in our desperation.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by traptor

It was a panic move.

They didn't have time to fully assess Hubrrdeau as a fit. They saw the name, saw the numbers and that was that.

Most expected a drop off just nowhere near to the level it was. Most thought it was an overpay at the time but felt the flames had to do it to save face.


Zito got us good and sold us a lemon in our desperation.

Why else would he have been so willing to part with him?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

but it seems like half his points come from broken plays that the Panthers quickly capitalize on and Huberdeau happens to find his way on the score sheet.

I know that's a simplification of what's really going on. I think it's a combination of natural decline and that he just wasn't that good to begin with.

BS, man. NHL players do not "happen to find their way onto the scoresheet" to the tune of 4 straight PPG projected seasons, including 92 and 115. That's silly talk.

[AFireInside]

I'll echo what's been said. I've wanted to see Huberdeau with Yegor since the season started. Just seems like a great fit. Putting him with Backlund and Coleman is a safe pick but if we want him to get going there needs to be a change.

I'm not sure who would be the best choice on the wing but probably someone who can go in get picks and go to the net.

I'd say Coleman but not sure splitting him and Backlund up is the best move.

[jayswin]

Zary centering Huberdeau and Sharangovich would be dynamite, I know it.

[activeStick]

I'm super intrigued by a scenario where Conroy chats to Treliving about acquiring Huberdeau. The Leafs cap situation doesn't allow it to work, but given Treliving was the guy who had so much belief in Huberdeau, I wonder if there's a part of Tre that would love to re-acquire him and make it work to redeem himself.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by traptor

It was a panic move.

They didn't have time to fully assess Hubrrdeau as a fit. They saw the name, saw the numbers and that was that.

Most expected a drop off just nowhere near to the level it was. Most thought it was an overpay at the time but felt the flames had to do it to save face.


Zito got us good and sold us a lemon in our desperation.

IDK Weegar looks pretty awesome and the first could have been something

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Zary centering Huberdeau and Sharangovich would be dynamite, I know it.

I've thought that with a lot of combinations that have been tried. At this point, I would rather not screw up Zary's trajectory. Sharangovich has also been hot lately, so I would hate to sewer either of them with Huberdeau at this point.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I've thought that with a lot of combinations that have been tried. At this point, I would rather not screw up Zary's trajectory. Sharangovich has also been hot lately, so I would hate to sewer either of them with Huberdeau at this point.

I agree on not pairing Zary or Sharangovich with Huberdeau. They are really finding their groove. I wouldn’t mess with it.

[AustinL_NHL]

Yea, Huberdeau's in an ultra tough spot now.

Backlund & Coleman are flying lately while dragging around his corpse, but while you want to find the right linemate for him, all the ones that seem like great potential fits (Sharangovich, Zary, Pospisil) are the youngsters, who you want to keep as far away as possible from him right now, and Ruzicka doesn't make much sense to me.

Either he's just gotta get it going on his own with what-should-be perfect linemates for literally anyone, or wait for the younger guys to cool off for 3-5ish games and get a chance with them

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by traptor

It was a panic move.

They didn't have time to fully assess Hubrrdeau as a fit. They saw the name, saw the numbers and that was that.

Most expected a drop off just nowhere near to the level it was. Most thought it was an overpay at the time but felt the flames had to do it to save face.


Zito got us good and sold us a lemon in our desperation.

They made the trade in 4 days. They didn't properly assess the direction of the team moving forward, they didn't properly assess their trade options, and they didn't properly assess Huberdeau. Now their stuck with what might be the worst contract in the entire NHL.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by chedder

How good can a player be if he needs the most specific of linemates and systems or else he looks like a Ford Pinto? You put a true top line, play-driving player on any team and that team looks better. This team looks better when Huberdeau isn't on the ice. Sometimes I start to feel sorry for him as he's obviously a proud guy. Then I remember he's being paid 84 million dollars.

This is why I don’t think this setup is going to run the full course. Neither side is going to want to do this for 8 seasons. I think the Flames will eat some of his contract to move him out. Huberdeau won’t want to be a pariah for the better part of a decade.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by dino7c

IDK Weegar looks pretty awesome and the first could have been something

Weegar is the best part of that deal. He’s getting better all the time. He’s a solid well rounded defensemen. Probably our best right now.