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Jonathan Huberdeau Opens Up After Disastrous First Season In Calgary

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Julien Trekker
April 14, 2023  (7:37 PM)
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In a surprising move last July, the Florida Panthers traded Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to the Calgary Flames for Matthew Tkachuk.

A few days later, the Flames secured Huberdeau with an eight-year, $84 million contract extension, anticipating that he would maintain his impressive offensive performance that earned him over 100 points in the 2021-22 season with Florida.

However, Huberdeau's inaugural season with the Flames was far from successful.

In 79 games and managed to score 55 points, setting a new NHL record for the largest single-season drop-off in production at 60 points. It was the first time in almost two decades that a player had experienced a decline of more than 40 points from one season to the next.

To make matters worse, Huberdeau's public disagreements with head coach Darryl Sutter throughout the year added to the tension.

Huberdeau Opens Up After Disastrous First Season In Calgary

During his end-of-season media address, Huberdeau candidly shared his thoughts on his first season with the Flames, admitting that he knew there would be adjustments, but never anticipated the extent of the challenge.

«I knew it was going to be a change and adjustment. But, of course, I didn't think it was going to be this hard."

«I completely lost my swagger this year. You can just tell. You have no confidence in the way you play, the way you make your plays. It's hard. You know you're just trying to be out there and help your team to win and you can't really do it.»

Throughout the year, Huberdeau found himself moving around the lineup, skating on three different lines and switching between left and right wing positions.

«It wasn't working offensively. I think Darryl was trying to make it work and that's why I kind of bounced around. It was that kind of year. It's to find some fits. I played with (Backlund) mostly at the end of the year. It was going well, so I think I need to find a duo. And that's what (Darryl) was trying to do.»

When asked about his relationship with Coach Sutter moving forward, Huberdeau expressed optimism:

«Me and Darryl will figure it out together and try to fix some things,» Huberdeau said.

If he can figure things out with Sutter and find his swagger, he could show everyone that he deserves the $10.5M AAV contract he signed last year.

As seen on Hockey Feed - Huberdeau admits the truth after brutal season

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Jonathan Huberdeau Opens Up After Disastrous First Season In Calgary

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