What to do with Huberdeau?

[Spurs]

I am sure that the Flames could move Kadri's deal because there are always dumb and desperate GMs out there but if you are adding his deal you better hope you win a Cup in year or two because that deal is going to be ugly very quickly.

Most likely any GM that did move him realizes they won't be there to see the ugly years anyway but not a lot of teams having success paying guys like Kadri at his age that kind of money.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Spurs

I am sure that the Flames could move Kadri's deal because there are always dumb and desperate GMs out there but if you are adding his deal you better hope you win a Cup in year or two because that deal is going to be ugly very quickly.

Most likely any GM that did move him realizes they won't be there to see the ugly years anyway but not a lot of teams having success paying guys like Kadri at his age that kind of money.

I know one such GM

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by dino7c

they weren't trying to trade him? they still aren't IMO

When he was UFA.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Reminds me so much of the Tanguay conversations we use to have, just the shoot more vs. pass telegraph...not the rest of it.

Where is Alex these days?
Can we hire him as a special assignment coach? Maybe he's the one person who cam understand what Huberdeau is thinking in those moments.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Where is Alex these days?
Can we hire him as a special assignment coach? Maybe he's the one person who cam understand what Huberdeau is thinking in those moments.

He’s coaching in Detroit. I think the Flames actually tried bringing him in as an assistant

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

He is best by default cause everyone else sucks or lack of talent or not quite ready

He is also 33 with 6 yrs left at 7M. That’s a terrible contract. Unmovable. Again thanks wizard.

He has 5 years left.

The contract, in my opinion, was pretty comparable to where it should be.

https://www.capfriendly.com/comparab...em-kadri-11852

[taxbuster]

Why do Flames have to "do" anything with Huberdeau at all?


Just play him...he'll either work his way out of his funk or he won't....he doesn't figure into the future in any way other than that Flames are stuck with him...good, bad or otherwise because his contract is virtually untradeable.


He'll be on some line, play some minutes and he'll be a contributor or he won't. But he won't actively harm the team (yes...there's a case to be made that having a player that isn't performing "harms" them, but it's a small factor - all players make mistakes).



Best thing to do IMO is just leave him to figure it out and stop obsessing over him. Maybe once the pressure is off he DOES actually figure it out...and that would be the best outcome of all.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

He has 5 years left.

The contract, in my opinion, was pretty comparable to where it should be.

https://www.capfriendly.com/comparab...em-kadri-11852

Yes, if you include this year he has 6 at 33
Next year, he would be 34 with 5 yrs left

Anyway, right now you can argue he kinda earns his pay but not too many teams can afford that term for a 33 yrs old

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Why do Flames have to "do" anything with Huberdeau at all?


Just play him...he'll either work his way out of his funk or he won't....he doesn't figure into the future in any way other than that Flames are stuck with him...good, bad or otherwise because his contract is virtually untradeable.


He'll be on some line, play some minutes and he'll be a contributor or he won't. But he won't actively harm the team (yes...there's a case to be made that having a player that isn't performing "harms" them, but it's a small factor - all players make mistakes).


Best thing to do IMO is just leave him to figure it out and stop obsessing over him. Maybe once the pressure is off he DOES actually figure it out...and that would be the best outcome of all.

I do not know what is the solution for Huberdeau


But being the highest paid player on the longest term normally requires/attracts a good amount of ‘caring’

That’s how it goes

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Why do Flames have to "do" anything with Huberdeau at all?


Just play him...he'll either work his way out of his funk or he won't....he doesn't figure into the future in any way other than that Flames are stuck with him...good, bad or otherwise because his contract is virtually untradeable.


He'll be on some line, play some minutes and he'll be a contributor or he won't. But he won't actively harm the team (yes...there's a case to be made that having a player that isn't performing "harms" them, but it's a small factor - all players make mistakes).



Best thing to do IMO is just leave him to figure it out and stop obsessing over him. Maybe once the pressure is off he DOES actually figure it out...and that would be the best outcome of all.

I agree with what you said mostly. But he does take up a big chunk of the flames salary cap. That’s the attention grabber. He’s holding the team back.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Goriders

I agree with what you said mostly. But he does take up a big chunk of the flames salary cap. That’s the attention grabber. He’s holding the team back.

The salary cap is a non-issue this year. Who do you think would be playing for the Flames absent Huberdeau's cap hit?

in 4 years, maybe. But the cap will be different and the options will be different.

[PepsiFree]

Yeah, I wouldn’t say Huberdeau is holding the team back in any way at the moment. If he was making 2.5M he wouldn’t be much of a topic at all, so the main issue is his salary and the 6-8M he’s not earning. Which… sucks for ownership, but ultimately has no impact from a fan perspective right now.

[868904]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Why do Flames have to "do" anything with Huberdeau at all?


Just play him...he'll either work his way out of his funk or he won't....he doesn't figure into the future in any way other than that Flames are stuck with him...good, bad or otherwise because his contract is virtually untradeable.


He'll be on some line, play some minutes and he'll be a contributor or he won't. But he won't actively harm the team (yes...there's a case to be made that having a player that isn't performing "harms" them, but it's a small factor - all players make mistakes).



Best thing to do IMO is just leave him to figure it out and stop obsessing over him. Maybe once the pressure is off he DOES actually figure it out...and that would be the best outcome of all.

I think the Huberdeau contract will probably be the most impactful contract in Flames history.

I'd be shocked if Edwards isn't going to be much more stringent on free agent signings of players who have not played here before moving forward, after all of Treliving's blunders (Brouwer, Neal, Huberdeau) in this market, which is probably a good thing.

The immediate impact of the Huberdeau contract is also very obvious. The Flames are offering premiums to Hanifin and Lindholm, and they both are saying no to the team. They can see that the Flames are going to have a very hard time winning if Huberedeau is going to be a 40 to 50 point guy while taking up $10.3 million in cap space. No player, who has the choice of going anywhere, is going to sign with the Flames with the Huberdeau contract around. It's almost like the opposite of the McDavid effect, it repels free agents as opposed to attracting them.

In the end, it's probably a good thing, because this team needs to rebuild/retool and go with young players, and this Huberdeau contract will ensure this happens.

[GioforPM]

I don’t think Huberdeau has anything to do with Lindholm or Hanifin not re-upping. They just thought they could do better monetarily. Hanifin may be right. Lindholm not so much.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

When he was UFA.

thought you meant last summer

when he was a UFA almost nobody had cap space with multiple years of flat cap...it cost a first to move Monahan because nobody else had space, Montreal only did because Price and his 10M was injured

I think moving forward you could easily move Kadri if you wanted to...not saying you would get a massive haul but he certainly isn't "unmovable"

personally I would keep him anyway

His contract is also an easy buyout down the road

[FlamesAddiction]

Kadri is still putting up numbers within his career norms at age 33. You never know when a player is going to fall off, but there are some who manage to remain productive into their mid and late 30s. You can't count on it, but hey, maybe Kadri is one of those guys. He is already ahead of the curve at 33.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Yeah, I wouldn’t say Huberdeau is holding the team back in any way at the moment. If he was making 2.5M he wouldn’t be much of a topic at all, so the main issue is his salary and the 6-8M he’s not earning. Which… sucks for ownership, but ultimately has no impact from a fan perspective right now.

The team is missing points production from the guy that is literally on the roster to deliver it the most. How does that not impact the on ice results? You don't just get to delete the lack of performance of your top player as some sort of accounting adjustment.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Igottago

The team is missing points production from the guy that is literally on the roster to deliver it the most. How does that not impact the on ice results? You don't just get to delete the lack of performance of your top player as some sort of accounting adjustment.

Sure, but what objective is that holding back the team from?

The playoffs? They’re rebuilding and shipping out guys like Lindholm, Hanifin, and Tanev, so nope.

Giving opportunities to younger players? Not so far.

Trading for/signing big ticket players? Doesn’t seem to be the goal, and if it were, the Lindholm/Hanifin/Tanev salaries will allow them to do that.

Last year? Sure. In the future? Maybe. But right now? Huberdeau, his contract, and his production aren’t holding the team back from doing anything they need to do. If anything, more production right now might actually hurt the team in the long run.

So, as fans, who cares?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Sure, but what objective is that holding back the team from?

The playoffs? They’re rebuilding and shipping out guys like Lindholm, Hanifin, and Tanev, so nope.

Giving opportunities to younger players? Not so far.

Trading for/signing big ticket players? Doesn’t seem to be the goal, and if it were, the Lindholm/Hanifin/Tanev salaries will allow them to do that.

Last year? Sure. In the future? Maybe. But right now? Huberdeau, his contract, and his production aren’t holding the team back from doing anything they need to do. If anything, more production right now might actually hurt the team in the long run.

So, as fans, who cares?

If Huberdeau was producing like they thought he would when he signed the contract, I don't think the team would be anywhere near a rebuild. I know guys like Coleman, Kadri, Weegar, and Huberdeau himself, didn't sign on long term to be in a rebuild. If Huberdeau was at least a 70-80 point player, this team would have easily made the playoffs last year and would likely be near the top of the division this year.

The whole reason we are lookng at a potential rebuild is because of the colossal failure Huberdeau has been.

[Enoch Root]

Just like McDavid can't make the Oilers good all by himself, neither can Huberdeau make the Flames bad, all by himself. It's a team game.