2023-24 will be a bounce back season for many on the Calgary Flames. That is what many fans heard all summer long, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t echoed those sentiments. I also, like many among the Flames fan and media base, believed they would be a very good team in 2022-23, which ended up being a complete disaster.
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The first important thing to acknowledge is that the Flames are just three games into the 2023-24 campaign, and while they haven’t looked great, their 1-1-1 record gives no reason to panic. With 79 games remaining, there is more than enough time for those who haven’t looked great early into the season to get things on track. That said, one player who you can’t help but worry about given his struggles a season ago is Jonathan Huberdeau.
Huberdeau Continuing to Look Like Shell of Former Self
When the Flames acquired Huberdeau in a blockbuster deal with the Florida Panthers last offseason, fans were ecstatic. After all, this was a player who had been one of the game’s premier offensive talents over the past four seasons, and was coming off of a year in which he recorded a career-best 115 points. While expectations were sky high in the early days of the trade, however, they have dropped off massively since.
Huberdeau was flat-out horrendous in his first season with the Flames. He not only had the biggest single season point decline in NHL history by dropping to just 55 on the year, but was lucky in many individuals’ eyes to even have that many given how often he was unnoticeable on the ice. It was certainly concerning given that his massive eight-year extension had yet to kick in, but many attributed his struggles to having Darryl Sutter as his head coach.
Those hoping his game would improve with Ryan Huska behind the bench can’t be happy with what they have seen so far. While Huberdeau does have a goal and two assists in three games, those who have watched have noticed the same player as a season ago, one who appears to lack confidence and creativity, and is far from the difference maker that many expected him to be.
While both his shots per game and ice time are up from what they were under Sutter, he still appears to be forcing things. His playmaking in particular has been worrisome, which isn’t something you want to see from a player who was one of the game’s best in that exact area for several years.
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One particular instance of this was in Monday night’s (Oct. 16) game versus the Washington Capitals, which was easily Huberdeau’s worst of the three outings the Flames have had so far. His passing was off all night, with perhaps the ugliest moment coming just 10 minutes into the first period. At that time, he found himself on a two-on-one rush with Andrew Mangiapane, and despite having all the time in the world, tried to force an early and unnecessary pass at the blue line which was broken up by John Carlson with ease.
Flames Could Soon Be in Tough Spot
Again, it’s early, and there is a chance that Huberdeau will get things going as soon as his next game. That said, it is impossible to deny the fact that with his point-per-game pace right now, he has started off the season in a very underwhelming fashion, much similar to last season. While playing at a level far lower than he is capable of has to be frustrating for him, it is equally if not more for management, who could soon find themselves with one of the worst, if not the worst contract in the entire NHL if he isn’t able to figure things out.
