The Calgary Flames season hasn’t even begun yet, and there’s already some controversy in the airwaves. While the biggest storyline of this group continues to circle around Rasmus Andersson and his murky future with the organization, another veteran on the roster has garnered plenty of chatter in recent days.
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That player is Jonathan Huberdeau, who is no stranger to criticism in Calgary. The 32-year-old has been a shadow of his former elite self with the Florida Panthers and is regarded by many as having the worst contract in the NHL.
Huberdeau has been criticized plenty and often for his play with the Flames, particularly in his first two seasons. He did seem to regain some old form in 2024-25, where he put up 28 goals and 62 points, helping relieve some criticism from the fan base. Unfortunately, that criticism has come back up following a recent comment he made to the media, which, for some, isn’t being received well.
Huberdeau Jokes About Maintenance Day
On just the second day of Flames training camp, media members noticed that Matvei Gridin was skating with a new group. The late first-round pick of the 2024 Draft was spotted skating alongside Nazem Kadri and Matt Coronato. While it was a good sign about how highly the Flames think of Gridin, it was a bit of a head scratcher as to where Huberdeau was. After skating with Kadri and Coronato on day one of camp, he was completely absent on Friday.
The team revealed a short time later that Huberdeau had a maintenance day, which often can be nothing more than a player dealing with a few bumps and/or bruises. Either way, it was a bit surprising to see on just the second day of training camp, prompting media members to ask him about the situation shortly afterward.
“I just woke up, didn’t feel like skating, so I just didn’t skate,” Huberdeau said with a grin. “That’s what happened.”
Despite it being very clear, based not only on his facial expression but also on the laughter from media members in the scrum, that Huberdeau was making a joke, he has been taking some heat for these comments. Some are going as far as to suggest he’s not fully bought in. If anything, it may prove the exact opposite.
Huberdeau Feeling More Comfortable
Early into his Flames tenure, particularly during his first season, it was clear to see how frustrated Huberdeau was. Not only was he still getting over the shock of being traded by an organization with which he had spent his entire career to date, but his offensive numbers were taking a massive hit.
In his final season with the Panthers, Huberdeau put up a career-high 115 points. That number dropped all the way down to 55 points in his first season as a Flame. He didn’t seem to be enjoying the game as he had with the Panthers, and it was clear that his confidence was completely shot. Now, after somewhat of a bounce-back performance in 2024-25, it seems as though he’s starting to have fun again.
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The 2024-25 season may have been exactly what Huberdeau needed to become an impactful player once again. We won’t see another 100-point season from him in Calgary, but seeing him surpass last season’s output of 62 points certainly isn’t out of the question. Based on his playful banter with the media days ago, it seems as though he’s got a bit of swagger to himself again, which should bode well for his on-ice play in 2025-26.
As far as his recent comments are concerned, there are some who are simply reading too much into things. This was nothing more than a player having some fun and harmless banter with reporters. It’s also a player not wanting to reveal any potential minor injuries, which is by no means uncommon in the NHL. The 32-year-old is expected to play versus the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night to help get some reps in for what he and the Flames hope will be a successful 2025-26 season.
