Calgary Flames general manager (GM) Craig Conroy must feel like he is operating on the wings of a dilemma and the horns of a quandary trying to deal with the roster mess left him by his predecessor. He has two massive and long-term contracts held by players who failed to meet expectations in their first year with the Flames. He has six high-profile core players who are set to become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) on July 1, 2024, half of whom have expressed either they want a trade or they do not have the desire to re-sign with the Flames. At least Conroy traded Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils, which opened up enough cap space to enable the Flames to ice a full squad for the opening of the 2023-24 season, albeit with a gaggle of youngsters.
The Flames’ primary objective for the 2023-24 season is to make the postseason. To do this, they must either place in the top three of the Pacific Division or capture one of two available wildcard positions. The early consensus for the top three positions is the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers. Contenders for the two wildcard spots will be a much-improved Vancouver Canucks squad, Seattle Kraken, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and the Calgary Flames. This year’s road to glory will not be easy, and there is no room for nights off. The Flames will need everyone firing on all cylinders, and this is especially true for their two highest-paid players, Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri.
Jonathan Huberdeau
Huberdeau was acquired from the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster trade during the summer of 2022. The Flames had big expectations for the left winger, who was coming off a career season. He came to Calgary with one year left on a reasonable contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $5.9 million. He then signed an eight-year contract with an AAV of $10.5 million, the largest player contract in Flames history, which kicked in on July 1, 2023, and extends to the end of the 2030-31 season.
The Quebec native had 613 points in 671 career games at the end of the 2021-22 season and won the Calder Trophy during the shortened 2012-13 NHL season. He set an NHL record for assists by a left-wing in 2021-22 with 85. He has 21 points in 26 career playoff games, including five points in 10 games in 2022. In his first year with the Flames, he managed just 15 goals and 40 assists for 55 points in 79 games, the largest single-season points drop-off in the history of the NHL. If Huberdeau could at least return to his career average point production for this coming season, then the Flames’ playoff aspirations would be closer to being on track. He is paid as one of the league’s elite players, and he will need to produce like one.
Nazem Kadri
After three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, the Flames acquired Kadri as a UFA in 2022 after the most productive season of his career. The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted seventh overall in 2009. The new Flames centre signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Flames that extends until the end of the 2028-29 season. Kadri turns 33 years old in October of 2023 with six years remaining on the contract. Along with Huberdeau, the Flames will also need Kadri to produce at a rate closer to his season’s best to help the club make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. At his age, this may not be possible.
Related: Flames Prospects Close to NHL Ready
With Huberdeau and Kadri assured of being in the Flames’ lineup for the opening of the 2023-24 season, barring any trades the Flames will be forced to start some prospects who may not be quite ready for the big show. If they can show up and produce, leading to a playoff appearance, this may be a career-defining season for the pair of high-priced forwards.