What to do with Huberdeau?

[Psytic]

Originally Posted by dino7c

you may have missed the part about eating salary and giving up picks to move him...which is what I was responding to

You’re talking about my post ? I said the exact opposite…. You quoted half the sentence.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Yeah Huberdeau's one of the weirdest players I've ever seen. You watch his highlight reel and you think, this guy is so dynamic, so skilled, eyes in the back of the head kind of superstar. But then you watch him play and on a shift by shift basis, he leaves you wanting more in almost every facet of the game. I remember being shocked at how innocuous his game was for a 100 point guy and perhaps that's why I'm not shocked at all with how poor his first season has unfolded.

If you ask me who would be the perfect type of linemates to get him going again, I would say a hulking 6'4 power forward who can drive the net, score in tight and who owns an absolute cannon for a shot. I also think he would work really well with a speedy forward who can push the pace of play, who has breakaway speed to back up defenders and who can also cut laterally through the middle of the ice to make criss-cross plays and has good touch around the net. I think these types of players would really highlight Huberdeau's strengths while simultaneously hiding his weaknesses.

Funny, but neither of those are Bennett and Duclair. Bennett’s a net crashes and Duclair’s fast but I don’t think he’s really a lateral player.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Elkyiv

Yes and no. Don't forget that for many years the team tried to bring in an elite center for Iginla to play with. It doesn't mean he wasn't a franchise player, you just want your best players to reach their full potential.

Iggy was one of the best players in the game, arguably the #1 forward in the league at times.
We were trying to get players to compliment him, not get him going.
He was actually the exact opposite of Huberdeau, a superstar who could do it without needing the right lineages, almost a 1 man team.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Iggy was one of the best players in the game, arguably the #1 forward in the league at times.
We were trying to get players to compliment him, not get him going.
He was actually the exact opposite of Huberdeau, a superstar who could do it without needing the right lineages, almost a 1 man team.

Well, TBF, did he do it? After 2004 Calgary had a good season with a first round exit, and then started a long slow decline. The Flames suffered because it was a one forward team, despite a lot of attempts to find linemates (Tanguay, Jokinen, Cammaleri).

[bubbsy]

My concern with the team is actually less about Huberdeau being a complete bust so far.

Despite Huberdeau clearly not being anywhere close to the play drivers gaudreau/tkachuk were, that doesn’t explain why the team gives up so many super high quality chances night after night.

It’s a sutter team, offence is a luxury. The team is supposed to be disciplined, solid defensively and tough. The rangers game was my last straw. Dumb giveaways time after time, and trouba (and blais) initiated big hits and still won the fights .

Bad at offence, bad at defence, bad at goaltending (markstrom) , not discliplined, not tough/intimidating.

Huberdeau sucking hasn’t helped, but he’s not the only reason the team isn’t a clear playoff team either…

[Stanley]

I answer this question by asking myself this:

If we traded Huberdeau do I see him scoring 100pts again?
My answer is yes.

Therefore, to me it’s more than just a Huberdeau problem and I wouldn’t give up on him just yet.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

It’s a sutter team... The team is supposed to be disciplined, solid defensively and tough.

Yet they are none of the above. They've made a commitment to a new core and that new core does not play Sutter hockey. Time to move on from Sutter.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Yet they are none of the above. They've made a commitment to a new core and that new core does not play Sutter hockey. Time to move on from Sutter.

The worst part of it all is that they’ve committed to Sutter. This team won’t pivot. They’ll undoubtedly run back a very similar team next year and all summer we’ll hear the same garbage we’ve heard every 2nd off-season.

[Snuffleupagus]

Huberdeau needs to just say **** it, I'm playing my game, you know, the same game which got me a $84 million contract. Piss off Sutter and your defence first/throw it in the corner and retrieve game, I'll be here a lot longer than you'll be.

[aaronkarlpatton]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Huberdeau needs to just say **** it, I'm playing my game, you know, the same game which got me a $84 million contract. Piss off Sutter and your defence first/throw it in the corner and retrieve game, I'll be here a lot longer than you'll be.

This, absolutely agree.

Sent from my SM-A526W using Tapatalk

[PepsiFree]

Based on his interview it doesn’t sound like Huberdeau’s problem is not playing his game, it’s that nobody else is. He’ll figure out how see the plays again.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Well, TBF, did he do it? After 2004 Calgary had a good season with a first round exit, and then started a long slow decline. The Flames suffered because it was a one forward team, despite a lot of attempts to find linemates (Tanguay, Jokinen, Cammaleri).

The point is Iginla was productive and elite even without top linemates. Not that one player can win you a Cup, which is why the team was forever looking for the right players to complement him.

This is not the case with Huberdeau thus far.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Based on his interview it doesn’t sound like Huberdeau’s problem is not playing his game, it’s that nobody else is. He’ll figure out how see the plays again.

What did he say?

[bubbsy]

… oops

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

The point is Iginla was productive and elite even without top linemates. Not that one player can win you a Cup, which is why the team was forever looking for the right players to complement him.

This is not the case with Huberdeau thus far.

To be fair you're kind of comparing apples to oranges. Iginla was an elite puck carrier and finisher.

Huberdeau is a playmaker. He has elite vision, but needs players who can finish for him. Those players don't need to be elite, but they need to do what Huberdeau cannot.

[DylanScores]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Huberdeau needs to just say **** it, I'm playing my game, you know, the same game which got me a $84 million contract. Piss off Sutter and your defence first/throw it in the corner and retrieve game, I'll be here a lot longer than you'll be.

Huberdeau will not be as offensive that he wants to be under Sutter unfortunately. He's probably thinking shooting the puck into the net and creating chances like he did in Florida but also might be thinking that coach wants me to drop pass to someone else which may lead into turnover and scoring chance for the other team, a system that he's not used to.
I think that sutter needs to let his offensive and skilled guys play their game. Can't play defence all the time to win games. Need scorers and play makers play their games. Coaches job is to utilize players potentials and put systems in place to maximize success.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

The point is Iginla was productive and elite even without top linemates. Not that one player can win you a Cup, which is why the team was forever looking for the right players to complement him.

This is not the case with Huberdeau thus far.

I wouldn't have called either Bennett or Duclair top linemates before last year, would you? Probably still not. Kadri is clearly a better player than either of those guys.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by blankall

To be fair you're kind of comparing apples to oranges. Iginla was an elite puck carrier and finisher.

Huberdeau is a playmaker. He has elite vision, but needs players who can finish for him. Those players don't need to be elite, but they need to do what Huberdeau cannot.

Huberdeau could have had at least 4 points tonight. He set up a coulde nice chances aside from his two assists.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Funny, but neither of those are Bennett and Duclair. Bennett’s a net crashes and Duclair’s fast but I don’t think he’s really a lateral player.

I’m not really talking about Huberdeau’s Florida days. I’m talking about the type of players he would need for his future playoff performances and days here here under Sutter.

In Florida’s system, Jonathan would’ve been productive with a lot of different types of skillsets and he proved that throughout his time as a Panther. But the playoffs were a different story and I’m not sure Bennett and Duclair would be enough for Huberdeau right now under these current conditions. The trio certainly was not good enough in last year’s playoffs where their collective production kind of fell off a cliff once the calendar flipped over.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

I’m not really talking about Huberdeau’s Florida days. I’m talking about the type of players he would need for his future playoff performances and days here here under Sutter.

In Florida’s system, Jonathan would’ve been productive with a lot of different types of skillsets and he proved that throughout his time as a Panther. But the playoffs were a different story and I’m not sure Bennett and Duclair would be enough for Huberdeau right now under these current conditions. The trio certainly was not good enough in last year’s playoffs where their collective production kind of fell off a cliff once the calendar flipped over.

Well, there's the system v linemates issue. What linemates could possibly complement Huberdeau in the present system? Maybe a Tkachuk.