[News] Huberdeau to undergo hip resurfacing surgery, done for the season - Page 4 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

indes · 02-05-2026, 09:42 AM

Ya this is a tough one. Pretty good chance he never gets back to even the level he was at this year. That being said it's possible the technology has improved and even if he can't play I hope it helps out in the rest of his life. Backstrom said it was pretty brutal before the surgery.

CalgaryFan1988 · 02-05-2026, 09:44 AM

Playing career aside, I hope the surgery and recovery goes well so he can enjoy life.

GioforPM · 02-05-2026, 09:46 AM

I wonder if the knowledge he would be out for a long time contributed to his good game last night. Last hurrah (for a while anyway)

VilleN · 02-05-2026, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Respectfully, we shouldn't be letting the players choose this sort of thing.

Is that even an option? You can't force someone to get surgery.

TrentCrimmIndependent · 02-05-2026, 09:48 AM

We don't seem to manage injuries well.

Going back to Monahan.

Get the procedures done ASAP so we have a fully healthy player. Playing at 60% for an extended period serves no one.

PeteMoss · 02-05-2026, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

We don't seem to manage injuries well.

Going back to Monahan.

Get the procedures done ASAP so we have a fully healthy player. Playing at 60% for an extended period serves no one.

I get the sense these types of hip injuries aren't easily defined. Its kind of a last ditch thing after less serious treatments are tried. Its kind of like older people getting knee/hip replacements - they just hurt all the time and have arthritis, etc. Its not like you blow our ligaments or something of the sort.

Burning Beard · 02-05-2026, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

We don't seem to manage injuries well.

Going back to Monahan.

Get the procedures done ASAP so we have a fully healthy player. Playing at 60% for an extended period serves no one.

Does the player get no say?

bob-loblaw · 02-05-2026, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

On hfboards there was a guy claiming to know Huberdeau's brother that said Huberdeau has needed a surgery since the summer and that they'd shut it down once the Flames were out of it.

I'd love to know why exactly that was the strategy because he clearly has not been right for most of the season, hopefully this still leaves enough time for a full offseason training regimen.

So the Flames are admitting they're out of it finally?

Johnny Makarov · 02-05-2026, 10:05 AM

Hopefully the surgery will help him with his no-look back handed passes to no where...

Goriders · 02-05-2026, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slanter

Well that explains a lot.

Is this better for the tank, or worse?

Makes it easier to keep Gridin up. So probably makes the team better at the moment.

I’m guessing after the Olympics one of Kadri or Coleman are leaving. But in all honesty you could trade any of our forwards with zero impact to team performance.

Not sure who else could come up from the farm. Kerins??

bubbsy · 02-05-2026, 10:14 AM

Hopefully this was contributing to his lousy year. Hope he recovers and gets back to some fraction even, of the player he once was.

Goriders · 02-05-2026, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay Random

No, Huberdeau’s salary still counts against the cap. The team could go over the cap by placing him on LTIR, but obviously that’s not a consideration at the moment.

He’s what is keeping us at the floor

YyjFlames · 02-05-2026, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Hopefully the surgery will help him with his no-look back handed passes to no where...

He couldn't turn left.

Sylvanfan · 02-05-2026, 10:20 AM

This does explain things a bit. I'm harsh on Huberdeau, outside of about 40 games in the middle of last year he has not been very good as a Flame in my opinion. But I was thinking this guy has to be injured because he's not this bad. Hopefully surgery goes well and he can have a Monahan like resurgence afterwards.

blankall · 02-05-2026, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

It's a 6-12 month recovery for 100%.

If this was known going back to the offseason as was rumoured / indicated then I don't get why they waited this long to shut him down

A lot of the time surgery is just one of many options. The doctors will tell you to try conservative treatment first. The surgeries also come with all sorts of risks.

It'd be pretty unusual for a surgeon to say surgery is the only option, get it done now, for a sports injury, unless it was something blatantly obvious like a totally detached ligament or full tear.

My guess is that Huberdeau was given the option of surgery. He opted to see if he could work through and improve the injury with conservative treatments. He hasn't improved. The team tanking also likely plays a factor. He has now, personally, opted for the surgery.

Goriders · 02-05-2026, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Royle9

Came to post this same thing, outlook on guys with this isn't "good" to say the least.

Maybe this is how they get out of the contract. Flames could do some damage in free agency with their cap space if he couldn’t come back.

DionTheDman · 02-05-2026, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by indes

Ya this is a tough one. Pretty good chance he never gets back to even the level he was at this year. That being said it's possible the technology has improved and even if he can't play I hope it helps out in the rest of his life. Backstrom said it was pretty brutal before the surgery.

We can rebuild him. We have the technology.

cam_calderon · 02-05-2026, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goriders

Maybe this is how they get out of the contract. Flames could do some damage in free agency with their cap space if he couldn’t come back.

If Huby's cap space opened up we would need to sign a vet or two to get to the floor, but it's way too early to be doing "damage" in UFA. We need a 1C, or close enough to it to ride shotgun with an elite winger, you're not getting that outside of the draft.

FlamesAddiction · 02-05-2026, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Why was he still playing for this long?

Just curious, but if the doctor says they can play through it, can a team force them to have surgery, or is it ultimately up to the player? There must be something in the CBA about that.

blankall · 02-05-2026, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Royle9

Came to post this same thing, outlook on guys with this isn't "good" to say the least.

To be fair, there's only been a few guys who've had it done. A lot of the guys who have had it done, did it when they were near the end of their careers anyways. For many, it was probably the 6-12 months of not being able to train, in combination with age, that was probably worse for their careers than the actual surgery.

For these older guys, they are getting an insurance payout, so that's probably referable than trying to work their way back into game shape in their mid and late 30s.