2024-25 Huberdeau - new and improved?

[Locke]

Lets just all get together and agree that someone needs to punch Treliving square in the nuts.

I nominate Iginla. Because he'd do it with a reassuring smile on his face and his punch force would probably crush Treliving.

Otherwise...whats Big 'Ern up to these days?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Some posters, yourself included, may remember noted pugilist Georges Laraque. Never paid for his offense, there were nonetheless frequent instances of Georges getting the puck down low and using his 240 lb frame and immense strength to protect the puck and rag 10-20 seconds off the clock. And he'd keep good players off him, too.

Point of that is, it's all effort and grit and deciding that at least for the next few seconds, this is my puck and you can't have it. Kiss my ass.

Jonathan Huberdeau has more God-given ability in his non-dominant hand than Laraque had in his entire body, but none of the fire. As soon as he gets the puck, his feet stop moving. He gets a shorthanded 2-on-1 last night, has the puck inside the top of the circle and he friggen passes (badly, I might add) to Backlund.

Hammer that ####, dude. Wind up and take a clapper from 35 feet out, it's the last thing they'll expect.

I do like the guy - I do hope he manages to salvage his career somewhat. As I said, if he's the borderline 30/30 all situations winger with a strong 200 ft presence.

But watching his performance last night live... woof. Nobody is going to be happy with that on the ice for the next 5 years. That contract is a prison sentence, and most people don't like prison.

He shot on the two on one (which was more like 2 on one and a half).

[Strange Brew]

He did let a slow release wrister go from top of the circle last night, I think it was a 2 on 1.

Huberdeau was actually playing with a bit more pace last night compared to previous dozen games or so. I thought that was very generous of him. Thanks 10, appreciate it.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

He did let a slow release wrister go from top of the circle last night, I think it was a 2 on 1.

Huberdeau was actually playing with a bit more pace last night compared to previous dozen games or so. I thought that was very generous of him. Thanks 10, appreciate it.

It was a hard wrister that caused a rebound that was close to being shoved in.

It's obvious people are just looking for stuff to complain about now.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by troutman

Let’s not blame the “system”. He is 32 and washed. All on him.

He was washed literally the next year after putting up record points.
It is the system, it’s not JUST the system he has to take lots of the responsibility, but to argue against it being a factor is short sighted in my mind.

He excelled in a very loose defensively minded system, with no structure and having the full ability to play east/west high puck possession hockey in Florida.
That’s how that team played and it was great in the regular season, but faltered in the playoffs.

His decline is record breaking, and to blame that all solely on a guy somehow forgetting how to hockey is wild to me. He came to a team who was 200% different, both the team and the player acknowledged this that same year. “Long adjustment period” where they did everything they could to turn him into a 200ft player, and not just an offensive multi-tool with little defensive responsibility.

It just wasn’t a match, and now 4 years later he’s aged and the system remains low event/low danger hockey because our team isn’t built with any superstar power in sight.

So yes, he was washed literally out of the gates and now it’s not helping that he’s older. But you go back to his time in Florida and watch his 115pt season highlights and tell me he somehow forgot how to do that literally overnight.

Just was never going to work on our team under two coaches who drive home defensively sound hockey, it is what it is you can’t even be mad about it anymore.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

He shot on the two on one (which was more like 2 on one and a half).

That was in the 3rd - he had a look with Backlund on the PK in period 2.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It was a hard wrister that caused a rebound that was close to being shoved in.

It's obvious people are just looking for stuff to complain about now.

I was just agreeing that he shot on a 2 on 1. I don’t think it was as good a play as you did but not complaining. I said he played faster last night too. Shame he can’t do that regularly.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Royle9

He was washed literally the next year after putting up record points.
It is the system, it’s not JUST the system he has to take lots of the responsibility, but to argue against it being a factor is short sighted in my mind.

He excelled in a very loose defensively minded system, with no structure and having the full ability to play east/west high puck possession hockey in Florida.
That’s how that team played and it was great in the regular season, but faltered in the playoffs.

His decline is record breaking, and to blame that all solely on a guy somehow forgetting how to hockey is wild to me. He came to a team who was 200% different, both the team and the player acknowledged this that same year. “Long adjustment period” where they did everything they could to turn him into a 200ft player, and not just an offensive multi-tool with little defensive responsibility.

It just wasn’t a match, and now 4 years later he’s aged and the system remains low event/low danger hockey because our team isn’t built with any superstar power in sight.

So yes, he was washed literally out of the gates and now it’s not helping that he’s older. But you go back to his time in Florida and watch his 115pt season highlights and tell me he somehow forgot how to do that literally overnight.

Just was never going to work on our team under two coaches who drive home defensively sound hockey, it is what it is you can’t even be mad about it anymore.

I don't think he forgot how to play or was washed the minute after his 115 point season, nor do I think it is systems. I think it is pretty close to 100% mental with him.

I don't think he ever envisioned himself not living the Miami lifestyle, wearing flip flops to the arena and hitting beach, or trading in his Ferrari for a Ford. But the Flames offered him more money than he could risk turning down. I think it absolutely killed him to see his former team go to the finals and win two Cups without him, and that was it for him.

I don't think he was intentionally mailing it in, I just don't think he could ever pick himself up. A destroyed ego is a hard thing to overcome for some people. Now I think he is like many players before him that get the bag, he just doesn't have the drive to do much else. He would be far from the first player to fall into that trap.

To use an analogy, in Florida Huberdeau was like the pop star who had people setting up his arena shows with pyrotechnics, and writing the music for him. He was asked to come into Calgary to be a serious song writer and composer, and it turns out he just isn't someone who can do that even if he thought that he was. That realization brought him down and he couldn't recover.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Royle9

He was washed literally the next year after putting up record points.
It is the system, it’s not JUST the system he has to take lots of the responsibility, but to argue against it being a factor is short sighted in my mind.

He excelled in a very loose defensively minded system, with no structure and having the full ability to play east/west high puck possession hockey in Florida.
That’s how that team played and it was great in the regular season, but faltered in the playoffs.

His decline is record breaking, and to blame that all solely on a guy somehow forgetting how to hockey is wild to me. He came to a team who was 200% different, both the team and the player acknowledged this that same year. “Long adjustment period” where they did everything they could to turn him into a 200ft player, and not just an offensive multi-tool with little defensive responsibility.

It just wasn’t a match, and now 4 years later he’s aged and the system remains low event/low danger hockey because our team isn’t built with any superstar power in sight.

So yes, he was washed literally out of the gates and now it’s not helping that he’s older. But you go back to his time in Florida and watch his 115pt season highlights and tell me he somehow forgot how to do that literally overnight.

Just was never going to work on our team under two coaches who drive home defensively sound hockey, it is what it is you can’t even be mad about it anymore.

I don’t see anyone saying he “forgot” how to play hockey. His drop in production has been historic but not the first player to have a rapid decline. Gary Leeman scored 51 and never topped 17 after that.

At this point, I put his play 100% on him. It’s not just about a drop in production IMO.

[PaperBagger'14]

I think to some extent the system has failed Huberdeau (and everyone else). Huska (I believe) is trying to give the flames the best chance to win every night, and that’s going to be by winning games 2-1 with strong goaltending.

With that said, even if the system was perfectly catered to Hubys play style he still wouldn’t crack a point per game. PPG is the absolute minimum threshold that should be met for a 10.5 mil per year cap hit.

[dirk diggler]

its not the system, can you actually envision him on the Avalanche for example tearing it up. He plays slow, make stupid passes and has little intensity, he is the anti Mckinnon. He got his retirement contract and he is done. Bill Zito is a smart GM and there is a reason they didn't enter into extension talks. BT is a poor GM, who looked at 115 points and thought he had a great player. One GM has 2 cups, the other continues to fail. the thought of 5 more years is not good.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I don’t see anyone saying he “forgot” how to play hockey. His drop in production has been historic but not the first player to have a rapid decline. Gary Leeman scored 51 and never topped 17 after that.

At this point, I put his play 100% on him. It’s not just about a drop in production IMO.

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I don't think he forgot how to play or was washed the minute after his 115 point season, nor do I think it is systems. I think it is pretty close to 100% mental with him.

It's 100% mental, which is on him for sure but he was very quickly in the doghouse under Sutter for being 1 dimensional and not a 200ft player. He was clearly very mentally fragile and again, that's on him but he wasn't that way before coming to Calgary.

Nobody is "saying it' but its being "implied" by calling him "washed" which would indicate that he's no longer good at hockey, some how coinciding the exact minute he suited up for the Flames after putting up a recording breaking season.

Again, he didn't just have 1 good season, he was historically a very good pass first winger capable of putting up 80+ points without question.

Why did that stop literally the minute he came to Calgary?

I'm not trying to come across as apologizing for his terrible play or fragile ego, he's paid more money than I'll ever see to play a game and therefor should be able to suck it up and figure it out but I know its not happening.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I respect yours for sure.

But I wont be convinced for a minute that he came to Calgary, instantly was "washed" from game 1 and now is old and terrible because he just doesn't care or want to be here or misses the warm weather or his fast cars.

He was thrown into a system that was the exact opposite of how he played his entire career, couldn't adapt fast enough and was quickly in the doghouse with a very vocal/tough coach and it became a mental nightmare. Add in the fact he signed the biggest contract and knows he'll never live up to that and its made for a disaster here in Calgary.

Sadly he's pretty much untradeable, but he's a guy who needs a fresh start with a higher offensive firepower team and I think he'd get back to 75+ points (maybe). But it'll never happen here.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

its not the system, can you actually envision him on the Avalanche for example tearing it up. He plays slow, make stupid passes and has little intensity, he is the anti Mckinnon. He got his retirement contract and he is done. Bill Zito is a smart GM and there is a reason they didn't enter into extension talks. BT is a poor GM, who looked at 115 points and thought he had a great player. One GM has 2 cups, the other continues to fail. the thought of 5 more years is not good.

If Gaudreau could get 115 points, Tkachuk 104 points, and Lindholm could be a PPG player in the Flames system under Sutter, Huberdeau could have and should have at least been a PPG player. Huska's system isn't really that different that Sutter's either. He is like Sutter, but without the charming ####ing personality.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Locke

Lets just all get together and agree that someone needs to punch Treliving square in the nuts.

I nominate Iginla. Because he'd do it with a reassuring smile on his face and his punch force would probably crush Treliving.

Otherwise...whats Big 'Ern up to these days?

I think Flames ownership is the biggest culprit.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

If Gaudreau could get 115 points, Tkachuk 104 points, and Lindholm could be a PPG player in the Flames system under Sutter, Huberdeau could have and should have at least been a PPG player. Huska's system isn't really that different that Sutter's either. He is like Sutter, but without the charming ####ing personality.

thats a great point, people tend to think Sutter kills offense, that clearly isnt the case as the Flames had one of the top scoring lines under him. this is all on number 10 and his fragile confidence and ego. He probably thinks that if he stayed in FLA, he would have won 2 cups. Ummm NO

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by TOfan

I think Flames ownership is the biggest culprit.

Agreed, ownership letting a lame duck GM make a huge trade. very Flames like

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

If Gaudreau could get 115 points, Tkachuk 104 points, and Lindholm could be a PPG player in the Flames system under Sutter, Huberdeau could have and should have at least been a PPG player. Huska's system isn't really that different that Sutter's either. He is like Sutter, but without the charming ####ing personality.

His last year here, Gaudreau spent 972 minutes or 76 percent of his time with Tkachuk and Lindholm. They got their points together

The next year, Huberdeau’s top line combo was with Kadri and Lucic and was 17 percent of his even strength time

That’s more than just a little bit different

Gaudreau and his line had their own set of rules. Huberdeau didn’t even have a regular line, and certainly not one like Johnny and Tkachuk’s

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

Agreed, ownership letting a lame duck GM make a huge trade. very Flames like

The trade wasn’t the issue (initially). Huberdeaus value league wide was sky high and he was a team Canada lock. If Huberdeau would have been flipped for picks it would have been multiple first rounders or A grade prospects. I’d liken it to Quinn Hughes’ return.

The signing was fine too, maybe a touch long but you gotta pay to play when you’re signing a 100+ point forward.

The issue has been his effort and results the whole time. At no point since getting here has he even remotely been close to being worth his contract. At this point there is no path to redeeming himself with the fan base, we either suffer through this together, he fakes a condition and LTIRs, or we buy him out when the cap space is needed.

What’s most disappointing is the hope he brought. I really thought with him that we had a chance to compete still. What’s the French word for deflating?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

His last year here, Gaudreau spent 972 minutes or 76 percent of his time with Tkachuk and Lindholm. They got their points together

The next year, Huberdeau’s top line combo was with Kadri and Lucic and was 17 percent of his even strength time

That’s more than just a little bit different

Gaudreau and his line had their own set of rules. Huberdeau didn’t even have a regular line, and certainly not one like Johnny and Tkachuk’s

They tried Huberdeau all over and he initially was paired with Lindholm. He got demoted after sucking, not before.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

thats a great point, people tend to think Sutter kills offense, that clearly isnt the case as the Flames had one of the top scoring lines under him. this is all on number 10 and his fragile confidence and ego. He probably thinks that if he stayed in FLA, he would have won 2 cups. Ummm NO

A lot of players actually had career years under Sutter or he put them on a trajectory to get there. People can dislike the curmudgeon, but he is probably going into the HoF one day and made many players better.