Does A Jonathan Huberdeau Reclamation Project Make Sense?
Jonathan Huberdeau became a completely different player after the Panthers traded him to the Flames in the Matthew Tkachuk blockbuster in 2022. It’s honestly sad to see. Whether you attribute it to aging, no longer playing with Aleksander Barkov, or being on a worse team, the guy is a shell of himself.
Sure, you could look at counting numbers and do the math yourself. But look at this tweet. It’s a huge fall from grace for the former Calder winner:
List of forward who have played at least 150 minutes in the month of December with zero points:
&amp;mdash; Karim Kurji (@karimkurji) December 28, 2023
Jonathan Huberdeau (200:31 TOI)
That&amp;#039;s it. #Flames
Even worse is that he seemingly could be stuck in Calgary as his play worsens. However, is a reclamation project a possibility? Would a team be willing to take a chance on him and his massive contract to see if he could rediscover the 115-point version of himself? It’s very difficult as we head into 2024, but maybe not impossible if you consider it in the longer term.
The Details:
Huberdeau is in the first year of an eight-year, $84 million contract he signed shortly after the trade. It will carry a $10.5 million cap hit until 2031. The matter would then be if Calgary wants to eat up to 50 percent of that cap hit in order to get rid of him. If I’m not mistaken, it would be the first time in NHL history that a player gets traded after year one of a 7 or 8-year extension.
Call me crazy, but the front office should at least consider it. Especially if the salary cap climbs higher and higher over the years. The Flames are currently sixth in the Pacific Division and five points out of a playoff spot as we approach 2024. Many, including myself, thought Brad Treliving was a genius for locking up both him and Mackenzie Weegar to big contracts after the trade.
However, it has exploded in their face more or less. The team is in win-now mode with a group that simply is not good enough. Nazem Kadri looks like a different player after leaving Colorado. Jacob Markstrom stinks. Elias Lindholm must be walking when his contract expires in the Summer. Why not save yourself the guesswork and start tearing it down?
The Suitors
No matter how you slice it, this is a massive gamble for any team that would be interested. Yes, you would be getting retained salary and sweeteners from the Flames. Huberdeau’s deal is an albatross until further notice.
One team that intrigues me is Chicago–the ‘Hawks need guys around Connor Bedard to show him the ropes and make sure he develops into a superstar. Huberdeau would probably age much more gracefully than he is right now in Calgary. Getting Bedard a winger who at his best was arguably the best passer in the NHL could work wonders for them both.
They will have the cap space to do it. Why not get the chance to add another potential star-level player while getting assets to do so?
Call me crazy but is this something Don Waddell would look into? Carolina has a lot of expiring money coming off the books in 2025 so there is potential flexibility to adding Huberdeau on a $6-7 million salary. The Canes somehow always have assets available despite being in their contention window. Who knows, maybe Huby could find his form with either Sebastian Aho or Martin Necas down the middle! I don’t have to be the one to say that they are always thinking outside the box.
What do you think? Does a Jonathan Huberdeau reclamation project make any sense? Stranger things have happened in the NHL.
