Perhaps being an afterthought is a good thing. The Calgary Flames are certainly that this season, as they are generating next to zero buzz regarding the upcoming season despite the fact that on paper, their roster is extremely talented. The reason for that, of course, is due to their struggles a season ago, though as Flames fans know, plenty of those were due to the locker room’s displeasure with former head coach Darryl Sutter.
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Another afterthought when it comes to the Flames is Jonathan Huberdeau. After signing an eight-year, $84 million deal, the 30-year-old had the biggest points regression in NHL history. Considered one of the game’s elite offensive producers a year ago, he is now being mocked by some as having one of the worst contracts in the league. Those who believe that could be in store for a major surprise this season.
Huberdeau Is More Motivated Than Ever
Players with Huberdeau’s talent don’t just fall off out of nowhere. There is a reason he recorded 115 points two seasons ago. At his best, he is an elite offensive talent, one who distributes the puck better than almost anybody else in the world. That said, he isn’t particularly strong in his own end, and is far from a physical threat. Those two traits are huge in Sutter’s books, and explain why things didn’t click between the two last season.
Out of everyone on the Flames roster who wanted to see Sutter gone, none needed it to happen more than Huberdeau. As he said in his season-ending press conference, he lost his swagger last season, and that was largely due to Sutter asking him to play a different style. With Ryan Huska now in charge, Huberdeau is expected to have much more freedom. That, paired with him being much more comfortable in his new surroundings now, has him quite excited to get things underway.
“This summer, I got the confidence back,” Huberdeau assured. “I just feel way better coming back. Last year, I was a little nervous. You know, new team, stuff like that. But now, I feel confident, I can be myself and I think it’s going to show. On the ice, I felt heavy last year. Now, I’m lighter on my shoulders and I feel way better mentally, too.
“I think that was my biggest challenge this summer — to get the mental back where it needs to be. Now it is, and I feel comfortable to start the season.”
These comments from Huberdeau came at the Flames’ annual golf tournament earlier in the month, and though it is only preseason, they seem to go well with what he showed the other night versus the Vancouver Canucks. He was able to find the back of the net twice in a 10-0 victory, including a beauty on the power play, where he showed tremendous patience to hold onto the puck before firing it past Arturs Silovs.
Again, it’s only preseason, but anybody who watched the Flames on a regular basis last season would quickly tell you that Huberdeau wasn’t making those types of plays. He lacked confidence in the offensive zone in a major way, and was much more likely to either rush that shot off in the slot, or even pass it elsewhere. It is clear that his confidence is very much back in that regard, and should continue to stay there with the Flames’ new coaching staff in place.
Plenty of Flames Have a Ton to Prove
Even better for Huberdeau is that he is far from the only Flames player who has a ton to prove this season. Several other forwards struggled last season in Elias Lindholm, Nazem Kadri, and Andrew Mangiapane being at the top of the list. Meanwhile, Yegor Sharangovich is looking to prove management right in trading for him this summer. Factor that all in, and you have a ton of potential linemates for Huberdeau entering the season with plenty of motivation. That will only help increase Huberdeau’s points further.
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Given the low expectations surrounding this Flames team, they will be talked about a ton if they are able to bounce back to their 2021-22 form. That will also result in plenty of chatter for Huberdeau, who, if they are able to turn things around, will play a huge part in that. Though his 115 points from the 2021-22 campaign may be tough to reach, don’t be surprised to see him not only flirt with the 100-point mark this season, but be in the running for the Hart Trophy.
