"You haven't seen the best of me": Flames' Huberdeau looking to prove doubters wrong
It’s hard to imagine that there are many players entering the 2023-24 season who are more motivated than Calgary Flames’ Jonathan Huberdeau.
The 30-year-old came to Calgary last season with sky-high expectations after being acquired in a trade with the Florida Panthers that saw Matthew Tkachuk head the other way. Many hoped that he could produce similarly to the 2021-22 season, which saw him record a career-best 115 points. Instead, he managed just 55 and has gone from being considered one of the game’s best producers to one of the worst contracts with a cap hit of $10.5 million.
While Huberdeau hasn’t said anything publicly on the matter, it is clear that he is taking any and all criticism personally, and is extremely motivated to prove his detractors wrong. His general manager, Craig Conroy, essentially confirmed just that when speaking with The Athletic this past weekend at the Young Stars Classic.
According to Conroy, Huberdeau told him, “You haven’t seen the best of me, Craig. Not even close. I’m going to show you.”
As disappointing as Huberdeau’s 2022-23 season was, there are a number of reasons to believe he can get back on track. Obviously, having the motivation he seems to have will help, but he has also now had the time to settle in and adapt to Calgary. The trade had to have taken some time to digest given that he had spent the first 10 years of his career with the Panthers.
Perhaps the biggest reason of all to believe he can turn things around is the fact that Darryl Sutter is no longer his head coach. It had been widely reported that the two butted heads all season long, and Huberdeau even admitted after Sutter’s firing that the two never clicked. With Ryan Huska now in charge, Huberdeau should be able to get back to feeling like his old self on the ice.
Huberdeau is one of several Flames who seem extremely excited for the upcoming season. After a rough year for the entire team, many believe they can turn things around in 2023-24, with Nikita Zadorov going as far as to guarantee they will make the playoffs. It remains a wait-and-see situation, but if you’re a Flames fan, you have to like what you’re hearing from the group right now.
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