What to do with Huberdeau?

[dino7c]

Huberdeau costs 10.5M in the press box too...plus the salary of his replacement

[Strange Brew]

Of course his cap hit is hurting the team. No way the team goes into the season with over $10 million of cap space so roster would look very different.

And if his cap hit disappears tomorrow, the team would be in a far better position to make any kind of move, rebuilding or not. Did you not hear Conroy go on about how valuable the cap space from the Zadorov deal was? And now $10.5 million doesn’t matter?

Come on now.

Any way to keep up the good feelings and since we are nearing year end and time to make charitable donations, I will donate $50 to the organization below for every point Huberdeau gets tonight.Im hoping that’s at least a hundo headed their way.

https://www.remindsupport.org/

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I will donate $50 to the organization below for every point Huberdeau gets tonight.Im hoping that’s at least a hundo headed their way.

https://www.remindsupport.org/

A very good cause, but that organization is in Houston. At the risk of sounding flippant, somebody should donate money for mental health in Edmonton, where there are thousands of Oiler fans who haven't got any.

[SilverKast]

He might not be hurting us in that there's nothing better to spend it on, but sure is a terrible ROI when you look at comparables for that salary level. I'd be pretty bitter if I was an owner paying that sort of money for that sort of production.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SilverKast

He might not be hurting us in that there's nothing better to spend it on, but sure is a terrible ROI when you look at comparables for that salary level. I'd be pretty bitter if I was an owner paying that sort of money for that sort of production.

That’s somewhat the point. Since none of us are owners it’s irrelevant.

[SilverKast]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

That’s somewhat the point. Since none of us are owners it’s irrelevant.

Except for the fact if our owners are handing out terrible contracts we'll never win anything, so as a fan that sort of sucks. No coincidence that teams with a lot of players who outperform their contracts do better than those who don't. Unfortunately we seem to fall on the wrong side of that equation too often.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SilverKast

Except for the fact if our owners are handing out terrible contracts we'll never win anything, so as a fan that sort of sucks. No coincidence that teams with a lot of players who outperform their contracts do better than those who don't. Unfortunately we seem to fall on the wrong side of that equation too often.

So the Huberdeau contract is indicative of a bunch of bad contracts being “handed out by the owners”?

I don’t think that’s what it proves at all.

[Ferarri]

Honestly, at this point sending Huberdeau to the press box is a logical next step. Sure supporters of his will disagree but at this point it’s safe to say that you know what you have with Huberdeau. Might as well reward a Wrangler or someone with a bite to continue with the youth movement.

Realistically, what’s the worst that’s going to happen:

Requests a Trade - nobody is taking that contract so it’s a moot point. His play certainly doesn’t dictate that a GM gambles and takes a chance unless they are completely delusional or desperate. Teams around the league know he’s a negative asset.

Comes back and plays worse - sure, but would anyone be surprised? Given his current play and numbers, there really isn’t much worse that he can do and to be honest I don’t think fans would be shocked if he continues to be inept.

Allan Walsh Tweets - who cares at this point? This isn’t a Flames issue but rather a Huberdeau issue. He can spin it all he wants but those around the league know that he’s gotten a legitimate shot to prove his worth and has failed with every opportunity.

At some point you have to do what’s best for the team. The Oilers demoted Campbell (which obviously the Flames can’t do the same with Huberdeau) but sending a message that enough is enough is as good as it’s going to get. Potentially addition by subtraction is going to be the theme with Huberdeau.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I don’t see any reason to scratch him unless you think effort is an issue (I don’t)
And if you do it will be a media storm and distraction for sure
The team and player have to live with each other for a long time. Scratching him only makes that worse

[Strange Brew]

Yeah if you scratch and it doesn’t turn things around for him (which I doubt it would), you better have a plan for the next 7.5 years of misery. And I have no idea what that plan would be.

[Ferarri]

I think you have to make an organizational statement that this isn’t a place where you can just come and collect a pay cheque and have no repercussions if you were a star player before. It sends the wrong message. Even if he’s lost his scoring capabilities then start doing other things to contribute. -14 on the year and team leading in this area shows a lack of ability on both sides of the puck (though people will argue the legitimacy of +/-).

[Jiri Hrdina]

And what do you hope to accomplish from doing that?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Ferarri

I think you have to make an organizational statement that this isn’t a place where you can just come and collect a pay cheque and have no repercussions if you were a star player before. It sends the wrong message. Even if he’s lost his scoring capabilities then start doing other things to contribute. -14 on the year and team leading in this area shows a lack of ability on both sides of the puck (though people will argue the legitimacy of +/-).

Well I do agree that he shouldn’t be bigger than the team and you should have to earn your ice time. But he is already off PP1 and his icetime is going down. Look at the Lightning game for example, he was among the lowest forwards. I’m sure he’s well aware that the club expects a whole lot more of him.

[Goriders]

There’s no way this scenario can last 7.5 more years. Something will happen. Guess you just have to be patient.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

That’s somewhat the point. Since none of us are owners it’s irrelevant.

The point is that you can buy draft picks and prospects with money. Remember what Montreal did to us with Monahan?

Or you can use the $10.5 million to pay Huberdeau I guess.

The poster who offered a $50/point donation to charity unsurprisingly doesn’t have to pay a dime. A generous offer, but what is that, the 11th straight game? This is becoming laughable.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by butterfly

The point is that you can buy draft picks and prospects with money. Remember what Montreal did to us with Monahan?

Or you can use the $10.5 million to pay Huberdeau I guess.

The poster who offered a $50/point donation to charity unsurprisingly doesn’t have to pay a dime. A generous offer, but what is that, the 11th straight game? This is becoming laughable.

I could go pointless in 11 games. For free.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by butterfly

The point is that you can buy draft picks and prospects with money. Remember what Montreal did to us with Monahan?

Or you can use the $10.5 million to pay Huberdeau I guess.

The poster who offered a $50/point donation to charity unsurprisingly doesn’t have to pay a dime. A generous offer, but what is that, the 11th straight game? This is becoming laughable.

Huberdeau should be the one having to make a donation to charity for every game he doesnt produce and it should be a lot more than $50.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Goriders

There’s no way this scenario can last 7.5 more years. Something will happen. Guess you just have to be patient.

It’s truly hard to imagine how this ends. If this has been the fastest decline in NHL history, he has the chance to pull off the biggest turnaround.

[Calgary4LIfe]

In what world doesn't a 10.5 million cap hit on pace for less than 40 points (and regressing as we speak) not hurting a team?


I will 100% agree with Huberdeau trying out there. I think if anyone is stating that he is mailing it in, or quitting on the team or on plays, is either stat watching or is watching with hate glasses on. I think he is trying out there, but it just isn't working out.



Huberdeau to me is like Gary Leeman. I never blamed Leeman for the Gilmour trade, and I always thought he was trying. He was destined to fail in that trade, and the pressure (and the booing) made it nearly an impossible situation for him that makes me sympathize with him to this day. Thank goodness Huberdeau isn't getting booed - and I love how the crowd cheered hard for him with that last goal he scored. He seems like a proud guy who is trying hard.


However, his on ice play is hurting this team - I would argue that Backlund and Coleman do all the heavy lifting out there and hide a lot of Huberdeau's mistakes. I still see ineffective play along the boards, passes to either nowhere or into skates. He does make the odd nice pass, but for the most part, I find it a good night when he is invisible. I think I like Huberdeau the person much more than I like Huberdeau the player. That contract is unquestionably hurting the team. I can't formulate a reasonable argument as to why it wouldn't. Conroy just finished taking what he himself called a lesser package because he needed the flexibility. Plus, with everyone being tight against the cap, Flames will more than likely lose out on some potential assets since they won't have sufficient room to eat bad expiring contracts to help teams make deals.


How to get rid of Huberdeau? I can't imagine there will be any teams, for any of the 7.5 seasons left, that would touch that contract without significant assets. This contract isn't even front-loaded, so there is no saving grace at the end of it where a cash-strapped team sees this deal as positive. it is buyout proof too. He has a NMC, so you can't even hide a small portion of the money in the AHL either (unless he magically agrees to going there).


I would 100% trade for Meier's contract, no questions asked. It is less of a cap hit, it isn't as buyout-proof as Huberdeau's deal, and it is front-loaded too, opening up a potential of getting rid of him down the road more cheaply. Plus, it is a 'hail mary' move in terms of hoping that a change of scenery just works.


My only hope left for Huberdeau is that the Flames make a series of trades, and whatever fresh faces join the team, just find chemistry with him somehow. If not, then I hope that Huska figures out a way to devise a system that fits Huberdeau perfectly, even though I think the current system this team is playing is working very well, outside of Huberdeau, Mangiapane and Dube. Everyone else seems to be doing fine right now at the very least, or has shown some flashes throughout the season. These are the only 3 players that have consistently disappointed, and I can only assume the system has a lot to do with it.


Either way, I am just hoping for the best for Huberdeau. He seems like a good person in a bad situation, and nobody seems to have any answers. I see him working hard, and I don't see a need to pile on him, and definitely hope things don't deteriorate further to the point that the fans start openly booing him, as absolutely nothing good will come out of that. Absolutely nothing good can come out of scratching him either, and I am sure Huska will walk that line with Huberdeau in keeping him working hard and avoiding the need to scratch him.


For as long as he is giving it an honest effort, you don't scratch him, you don't boo him, and you just try and cheer him on as best as you can. Let's see what happens when some of the expected trades go through, and there are fresh faces on this team. That's the next significant marker where we may see a sudden improvement in his production.

[AustinL_NHL]

Play this way long enough and it's only a matter of time until 100% of the fanbase is against him.

Combine that with all the constant media pressure, knowing he's failing millions of fans + all of his teammates + the management and ownership that believed in him will sooner or later take a very heavy toll on him mentally, if it hasn't started to already.

He's locked into arguably the worst contact in NHL history in one of the most aggressive, pressure filled environments in the NHL, in a time where its impossible to keep yourself away from the nonstop scrutiny on TV, social media and public fans with big mouths.

Something is 100% gonna to happen one way or another throughout the contract. Whether he becomes Huberdeau of old, completely changes his playstyle to something the fans can at the very least cheer for and appreciate, or forces his way out of Calgary no matter what NHL-first route it takes because all of it becomes too much for him as hatred and time extends.

Honestly kinda an unprecedented spot with a likely crazy final outcome.