I'm also not sure I would describe Huberdeau as an "elite playmaker". All his plays are very similar and predictable. If he's not driving the net, then he's taking the puck to the far side and drawing in the defence and then throwing the puck to the middle for an easy tap in for Tippett/Bennett. It works for him, because if the defence doesn't abandon their post and cover Huberdeau, he's going to drive the net himself.
Huberdeau isn't setting up complex plays that require any kind of thought form his linemates. It's literally just put your stick on the ice, go to the net, wait for Huberdeau to pass the puck directly onto your stick, tap it in.
We can argue about whether Huberdeau receives the outlet pass from before or after the red line...maybe you're right most of time it's after the red line, which is common for all forwards. So my "end to end" might be seen as an exaggeration. It's more like "red line to end".
However, almost all of Huberdeau's highlights are the same. He gains possession drives into the offensive zone and sets up a play at high speed. He either drives to the net himself or sets up a linemate to do that. Once again, doing the things Bennett is bad at.
This is a highlight reel, most if not all of these highlights are the result of broken plays that lead to a two on one or other mistakes by the opponent, they're not really indicative of him as a player. If you put him in a structured situation he will almost never drive wide or drive to the net because he just doesn't have the speed to do it. Now he may stickhandle you to oblivion and beat you that way but it's not with his speed.
Also I think what benefits the chemistry between Bennett and Huby is that in fact neither are great skaters, there more of the same speed. Huby "struggled" to find chemistry with Trocheck as his center just for that reason, Trocheck would blaze end-to-end ( he has blinders on) and Huby couldn't keep up- and when they got in to the cycle game it was Trocheck who couldn't hold his own. Bennett on the other hand brings the puck up at a slower pace and can drive directly to the net which suits Huberdeau better.
I'm also not sure I would describe Huberdeau as an "elite playmaker". All his plays are very similar and predictable. If he's not driving the net, then he's taking the puck to the far side and drawing in the defence and then throwing the puck to the middle for an easy tap in for Tippett/Bennett. It works for him, because if the defence doesn't abandon their post and cover Huberdeau, he's going to drive the net himself.
Huberdeau isn't setting up complex plays that require any kind of thought form his linemates. It's literally just put your stick on the ice, go to the net, wait for Huberdeau to pass the puck directly onto your stick, tap it in.
Again, I don't think you can look at a highlight reel and say what kind of player Huberdeau is. He is a great playmaker, maybe the best in the league. The way he plays with Bennett is very different how he played with Trocheck. And the way he played with Jagr&Barkov was again very different. One of the reasons he is elite because he can change the way he plays based on who he is playing with.
I have this weird feeling in my gut that one day we'll have a "The Legend of Oliver Kylington thread" in which people wax on about how he never got a chance here and then he ends up being someone else's Anton Stralhman.
I gotta say I've read a lot of people say things about Huberdeau that don't ring a bell with me at all and this is also one of them. And not picking on you specifically but thought I'd set this straight once and for all:
Huby isn't an end-to-end skater, in fact speed is his worst asset. For that reason you don't see him bringing the puck up the ice, it's Bennett or Tippett on that line (or more likely to) and when he played with Barkov it was Barkov. If Huberdeau had speed to drive end-to-end he would probably be a generational talent. But he doesn't, he's an average skater.
What he is though is an elite playmaker, maybe the best in the league and also maybe the best passer in the league. He's strong on the cycle and in the corners and can puckhandle in a booth. You rarely see him drive to the net unless it's a wide open lane, he's more of a setup guy. Bennett driving the net opens up a lot of space for Huberdeau along the boards.
Maybe CaliPanthersfan can chime in if he agrees with this or not but this is my impression of him after watching a decade of him in the league.
YUP!
Reminds me a LOT of Tanguay, but bigger and a little bit slower. Much more of a board worker, but is an absolute wizard when he gets the puck from the halfboards down.
I will say, he isn't shy about going to the front of the net at all if the opportunity is even a little bit there, so I might disagree a little bit with the assessment. He isn't a mucker like Bennett is though.
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Again, I don't think you can look at a highlight reel and say what kind of player Huberdeau is. He is a great playmaker, maybe the best in the league. The way he plays with Bennett is very different how he played with Trocheck. And the way he played with Jagr&Barkov was again very different. One of the reasons he is elite because he can change the way he plays based on who he is playing with.
Fair enough. It's possible that Huberdeau is modifying his game to Bennett's strengths. I will admit that I have been watching a lot of Bennett/Huberdeau highlights since the trade, and don't see that many Panthers games. So it's definitely possible there's a selection bias in my assessment.
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It's easy to get fixated on scoring plays, but Huberdeau has seen his underlying numbers spike with Bennett as well:
2020-22
Huberdeau without Barkov/Bennett
517:46 TOI
51.33% FF
46.05% xGF
Huberdeau with Barkov w/o Bennett
88:43 TOI
57.83% FF
54.80% xGF
Huberdeau with Bennett w/o Barkov
123:19 TOI
67.11% FF
70.51% xGF
Bennett isn't just a passenger on his line... he does things that help Huberdeau. Yes, splitting Huberdeau and Barkov obviously makes matchups difficult - but prior to Bennett, the Panthers were unable to capitalize on splitting them up.
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It's easy to get fixated on scoring plays, but Huberdeau has seen his underlying numbers spike with Bennett as well:
2020-22
Huberdeau without Barkov/Bennett
517:46 TOI
51.33% FF
46.05% xGF
Huberdeau with Barkov w/o Bennett
88:43 TOI
57.83% FF
54.80% xGF
Huberdeau with Bennett w/o Barkov
123:19 TOI
67.11% FF
70.51% xGF
Bennett isn't just a passenger on his line... he does things that help Huberdeau. Yes, splitting Huberdeau and Barkov obviously makes matchups difficult - but prior to Bennett, the Panthers were unable to capitalize on splitting them up.
All that time on the bottom six probably helped him develop his two way game...
Reminds me a LOT of Tanguay, but bigger and a little bit slower. Much more of a board worker, but is an absolute wizard when he gets the puck from the halfboards down.
I will say, he isn't shy about going to the front of the net at all if the opportunity is even a little bit there, so I might disagree a little bit with the assessment. He isn't a mucker like Bennett is though.
Oh yeah, I didn't mean he shies away from going infront if there's an opening. It was more related to beating defenders with his speed.
Never though of Tanguay but I can see some of that.
Not sure if it's still the case this season, but Bennett was frequently the slingshot recipient on the Cats PP last year...which would be an odd choice by Q if he thought Sam was no good at gaining the zone.
And when did getting to the front of the net and finishing become a low skill/low IQ play?
The cup final this year is gonna be a tightly contested matchup between Darryl Sutter's upstart Flames team versus a deep Florida team with a former misutilized Flame who exploded down there, isn't it.
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The cup final this year is gonna be a tightly contested matchup between Darryl Sutter's upstart Flames team versus a deep Florida team with a former misutilized Flame who exploded down there, isn't it.
That would be an amazing story. If anyone could get it done against a team like that, it would be Sutter. Would need literally everything to go right though. No way could we sustain the injuries the 04 team had and not crumble though. Still can't believe how Montador and Commadore played back then. Even injuries to guys like McAmmond and Reinprecht... it was crazy. Never seen a team like that. It was like 2 times the sum of its parts
