Huberdeau on the Panthers winning the cup

[really?]

When a player signs on as a team’s most expensive component they are betting on themselves to be a difference maker whether they acknowledge that fact or not. The eyes tell me Huberdeau has given a decent effort, but in no way has he tilted the pendulum. I’m sure this is not what he envisioned when he signed the deal, but if he performed in line with what he was paid (JG like impact) the team likely makes the playoffs in the last season under Sutter. Didn’t happen and now the Flames are moving forward.

A chunk of the blame for the current course lies at the feet of Huberdeau. Given this reality we all may end up owing a measure of gratitude to this player.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Ay Dios Mio!

Sorry, I don't speak Italian.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by dino7c

well I strongly disagree...again did you watch the SCF?
4 other Panthers go Conn Smythe Votes not Tkachuk

I am talking now...not talking age or contracts ect.

Bob was at worst the #2 or #3 reason they won the cup. Forsling might be a top 3 shut down D in the entire NHL. To say it's not even close is obvious bias. Bob turning from a 10M backup to a top 5 goalie was the biggest factor in their change of fortunes. Without that they are 1 or maybe 2 rounds deep at best.

Anyway it wasn't even a knock at Tkachuk I was showing how much depth they have. If Tkachuk stayed and the Flames won the cup he would have to be the Conn Smythe winner or at least in the convo. No 3 point 7 game series.

Only if you narrow it down to the SCF. He still led their whole team in points for the playoffs. They were the underachiever, early playoff exits before they traded for him. He is their second best player not counting the goalie.

[Lewis_D]

Ah, I'm sure everyone will be fine with these comments and this thread will remain civil and not drag on for the rest of the offseason.

[HitterD]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

I'm not even mad .gif.

I was an early proponent of rebuilding and am happy they're fully tearing it down. I'll be mad 5 seasons from now if Huby is still here and the team needs the cap space.

For now, Huby is exactly where he needs to be. A $3m player signed at $10.5 to reach the cap floor? Multiple top-3 picks incoming

Early proponent of rebuilding, yet you inexplicably gave the Flames a D grade in the poll for the 2024 draft. Are you really happy they are rebuilding?

[Paulie Walnuts]

So if Johnny and Matthew sign those matching 11 million deals, who leaves the team.

Lindholm gets 8.5 million to sign.

Zadorov is gone, Mangiapane is gone. Backlund likely gone. No Kadri. Monny is back.

You probably don't get Toffoli to sign at 6 plus.

Even if Huberdeau produced 80 points, this team is still challenging for a wild card spot with a very flawed roster.

Huberdeau never was the driver of his line, and he was added to a roster that had zero drivers on the roster. Lindholm can't carry a line, Kadri doesn't pass, so his bet shot was Backlund but that the checking line.

[The Cobra]

Let's not forget that 90% of the posters thought that unless Huberdeau got signed by Calgary, it was a huge fail on Treliving. Poster were for the most part very pleased when his contract was announced, and then equally so for Weegar. Many felt that Tkachuk wouldn't sniff 90 points again without Johnny.

Yes Huberdeau has been a huge disappointment for Calgary, but it wasn't just Treliving who misjudged that. It took all of us by surprise.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Let's not forget that 90% of the posters thought that unless Huberdeau got signed by Calgary, it was a huge fail on Treliving. Poster were for the most part very pleased when his contract was announced, and then equally so for Weegar. Many felt that Tkachuk wouldn't sniff 90 points again without Johnny.

Yes Huberdeau has been a huge disappointment for Calgary, but it wasn't just Treliving who misjudged that. It took all of us by surprise.

Yeah, the difference being...its 'not our job' to know.

It was his.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Let's not forget that 90% of the posters thought that unless Huberdeau got signed by Calgary, it was a huge fail on Treliving. Poster were for the most part very pleased when his contract was announced, and then equally so for Weegar. Many felt that Tkachuk wouldn't sniff 90 points again without Johnny.

Yes Huberdeau has been a huge disappointment for Calgary, but it wasn't just Treliving who misjudged that. It took all of us by surprise.

That wasn't our concern with Chucky. It was his lack of footspeed and his playoff performances.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Barkov, Bob, Forsling, verhaeghe in that order got Conn Smythe Votes

Panthers are DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

Then you got Tkachuk, Bennett, all the other dmen....ect.

Yes, because we should evaluate players based on a tiny sample size. And not just on that tiny sample size, but on the votes garnered for a trophy, based only on that small sample, from a bunch of media guys who we whole-heartedly respect - see your own posts regarding Conn Smythe voting.

Let's look at it in a more rational and reasonable context - if there were a distribution draft of Florida players, who do other GMs grab after Barkov? Bobrovky? Hardly. Reinhart? Maybe if that particular GM specifically needed a sniper. Ekblad? Unlikely.

The answer is that it would almost certainly be Tkachuk.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by HitterD

Early proponent of rebuilding, yet you inexplicably gave the Flames a D grade in the poll for the 2024 draft. Are you really happy they are rebuilding?

Gullfoss is either a Sutter family member or, hes good Ole Gully the assistant coach of the juggernaut Oilers.

He seems to blame Hubderdeau for Sutter getting fired. He has gone on rants about it a lot before.

I guess he just likes to ignore that guys like Weegar, Kadri spoke up about a coaching change being needed.

[Locke]

Can we trade Huberdeau for Red Seats for the new arena? Or is that contravened in the CBA?

Steak dinner? Bag of pucks?

Because at the moment, unless he's a great mentor he's pretty useless.

[HitterD]

Originally Posted by Locke

Can we trade Huberdeau for Red Seats for the new arena? Or is that contravened in the CBA?

Steak dinner? Bag of pucks?

Because at the moment, unless he's a great mentor he's pretty useless.

He's entirely useful actually, he's the only thing keeping the Flames above the cap floor.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by HitterD

He's entirely useful actually, he's the only thing keeping the Flames above the cap floor.

Oh please...stitch that on his jersey.

Instead of the back saying 'Huberdeau' it needs to say 'Cap Floor Requirement.'

I'm sorry equipment guys...but it must be done!

[FlamesAddiction]

I don't see the effort that others see in Huberdeau's game. He seems like his GAF meter is pretty low most of the time. If he sees something developing, it seems to push him a little harder, but if nothing much is happening in that moment, he doesn't seem very engaged to change that himself. I guess that what makes him a player who doesn't drive the line. The fact he can still put up 50+ points with minimal effort speaks to the amount of talent he has though.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Let's not forget that 90% of the posters thought that unless Huberdeau got signed by Calgary, it was a huge fail on Treliving. Poster were for the most part very pleased when his contract was announced, and then equally so for Weegar. Many felt that Tkachuk wouldn't sniff 90 points again without Johnny.

Yes Huberdeau has been a huge disappointment for Calgary, but it wasn't just Treliving who misjudged that. It took all of us by surprise.

Yeah Treliving is just like another poster on the internet

We should all get paid like him

[Beninho]

Just comes off as whiny, enjoy your 10.5 a year and be quiet. Don’t like being on a rebuilding team? Play better and make your albatross contract moveable.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I don't hold anything against Huberdeau here. It is nice to have some honesty.


I think Zito is a bit smarter than I originally gave him credit for. He cashed-out on Huberdeau. Regardless of the system in place, it still requires a fair bit of skill to hit 115 points and break the all-time points record for a LW. Huberdeau deserves accolades for this.


With that being said, I remember Sutter talking about systems after the Huberdeau Tkachuk trade, at some earlier point in the season. He specifically mentioned how Florida is learning how to play playoff hockey, and they haven't learned how to play it before. I think Zito basically got rid of Huberdeau because he wanted to switch the Panthers into a team that is better suited to playoff hockey.


With that being said, Huberdeau is being paid to put up a certain amount of points. So either he finds a way to be productive in the existing system, or Huska lets him (and whatever linemates he has) to freewheel. I believe Huberdeau will be an untradeable asset even at a PPG for at least a few years, so I would rather the focus be on the young players being brought up in a good system. Flames will be better able to figure out which young players are effective in this system, and which aren't, and make appropriate decisions then.


Huberdeau is just a sunk cost. He is a .5PPG player on this team and within a responsible system. He is here to help with the culture, and from our vantage point, he has been doing exactly that. Other than his dead cap (50% of his salary, by my estimate), he isn't a detriment to the team, and isn't really deserving of being a target. He didn't ask to get traded. He was hesitant to sign here. If there is blame to be assigned, then the blame falls on Treliving in allowing Gaudreau to walk and signing Tkachuk to that horrendous bridge deal.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Yeah Treliving is just like another poster on the internet

We should all get paid like him

Can you point to anyone across media and other experts that predicted the type of fall that Huberdeau had.
I think most felt that it had some risk at the back end of the deal, but I don't think anyone predicted the greatest fall in NHL history.

If you think BT should have been able to see that - I don't know what to tell you. I don't think that's a reasonable expectation.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Tkachuk is the 2nd best player behind Barkov, and it isn't really close.

Um...I'd like to nominate Reinhart and possibly Forsling. I think you're probably right in him being 2nd best, but there are a lot of good players on that team that are right there with him.