Player Discussion #10 Jonathan Huberdeau

[Ace Rimmer]

Besides of humanity, feeling for the guy and supporting him which I do btw..

What should happen if his hole is deeper after the next 3 games?

He gets a special demotivational plaque for the locker room.

 

[23Monahan]

I am becoming convinced that Huberdeau's issue is the lack of a C-man.

Not that I am down on Lindholm, but those two just don't click. Neither did Huby/Kadri.

So for now there are two options. One, play him with Backs and Coleman. Two, play him at 4LW with a C that can drive play and with a RW with speed. They would not be a stereotypical 4th line, but another arrow in the quiver for Coach Huska.

The problem with option two is that our two nascent centers are just that nascent, emerging, not there yet. But both Ruzicka and Dube can carry the puck in with speed.

And that is what Huby needs. Two F in wreaking havoc with him trailing looking to feed the high or low slot. Maybe even a trailing D with a cross ice pass.

He did great with Sam Bennett....

 

[Mobiandi]

The linemates explanation doesn’t really explain how confusingly awful he is on the powerplay. He’s usually the other team’s best penalty killer consistently giving the puck away

 

[NinjaTurtle]

Crazy proposal: Hard Reset Huberdeau.

Let him play in Montreal in front of his home crowd because were not Babcock (and maybe he could have a good game and show his wares to their management).

Then healthy scratch him for 2 weeks (or say he has a nagging injury). Hide him in a small rink just out of town. Bring in a sports psychologist. Bring in a skills coach. Bring in Gerald Gallant to remind him of his successes in junior and Florida. Video call Joel Quenneville and have him give Jonathan a pep talk. Sit with Huska and Savard and telestrate plays they want to see.

And then give him a practice or two with new line mates (Backlund or the Slovaks as ideas) and let’s go!

It’s damning right now that our 4th line is consistently better than the “first”. We either need to get Jonathan rolling at a 60-80 point clip (low but reasonable bar) or find a way to roll 4 lines like Vegas/Seattle.

 

[Felidae]

Why Huberdeau has struggled in Calgary, and trends to watch this season

In his first season as a Flame, Jonathan Huberdeau's point totals dropped by 60 year over year. This season he has five points in 10 games and is a minus-11. So what's happened here? Vanessa Kezwer looks at some video to seek out root causes.

www.sportsnet.ca

Just found this article on why Huberdeau has been struggling and what he and the team can do to get him going.

Yeah, I know he's playing well rn and I'd say he's starting to do some of the things in this article.

Still, this is probably the most in depth explanation I've found and one that blames him just as much as the mismatch in terms of style of play. So it's pretty fair.

 

[Fig]

I bet Huberdeau will skyrocket again once he gets to wear 11 again. That zero on his back might as well be a target causing him to lose strength like Samson with his hair cut off.

 

[Rubi]

I bet Huberdeau will skyrocket again once he gets to wear 11 again. That zero on his back might as well be a target causing him to lose strength like Samson with his hair cut off.

So you're saying we have to wait at least until October 2026 before he's worth a damn?

 

[joescores]

What do we do with the guy? I am suggesting to sit him next.

 

[super6646]

What do we do with guy? I am suggesting to sit him next

Nothing. It’s not worth dumping away more assets to make this work, but what’s the point in scratching him and making things even worse?

 

[joescores]

Nothing. It’s not worth dumping away more assets to make this work, but what’s the point in scratching him and making things even worse?

He is playing worse than Dube and that's a compliment. He is actually hurting our team.

 

[super6646]

He is playing worse than Dube and that's a compliment. He is actually hurting our team.

I agree he's been awful as of late, but we aren't competing anyways. Maybe give him a game in teh box, but that has as much a chance of backfiring than working.

 

[joescores]

I agree he's been awful as of late, but we aren't competing anyways. Maybe give him a game in teh box, but that has as much a chance of backfiring than working.

I think we are competing mate, the effort is defo there and you just have to admire it, but he by himself has been a detriment to our results.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

What do we do with the guy? I am suggesting to sit him next.

Keep him around to hit the cap floor during the upcoming dark ages.

 

[Fig]

What do we do with the guy? I am suggesting to sit him next.

Sitting him to send him a message to work harder will work. If he's trying and you sit him too often, you'll make the problem worse.

The main solution IMO is working with him through it. Whether that is finding him new linemates and rebuilding him to have the confidence to start producing again or whatever. Booing him like Kyrou or benching him if the effort is there or something like that won't be helpful IMO. It'll make it worse.

 

[Lunatik]

Sitting him to send him a message to work harder will work. If he's trying and you sit him too often, you'll make the problem worse.

The main solution IMO is working with him through it. Whether that is finding him new linemates and rebuilding him to have the confidence to start producing again or whatever. Booing him like Kyrou or benching him if the effort is there or something like that won't be helpful IMO. It'll make it worse.

This.

You healthy scratch guys for lack of effort, not being underwhelming.

 

[super6646]

Sitting him to send him a message to work harder will work. If he's trying and you sit him too often, you'll make the problem worse.

The main solution IMO is working with him through it. Whether that is finding him new linemates and rebuilding him to have the confidence to start producing again or whatever. Booing him like Kyrou or benching him if the effort is there or something like that won't be helpful IMO. It'll make it worse.

Agreed. But I don't see anything helping to make things better. Man is tied for 9th in PPG rn with a few other guys... that's just not good enough regardless of the system or linemates or whatever else. He is 4th in TOI for fwds and 3rd in PP time. He has given lots of opportunities and a rotating cast of players, and nothing is working. At some point its just a sunk cost and you hope the player figures it out.

This.

You healthy scratch guys for lack of effort, not being underwhelming.

I don't disagree, and I think Huberdeau has given a ton of effort. But I also "effort" can appear somewhat subjectively too (unless you are James Neal or Nazem Kadri circa April 2023 where it is really obvious the player wasn't giving af). Is he really giving a 100% in the board battles or in the corners? It might appear so, doesn't make it true.

 

[Rubi]

What the hell. His contract is an anchor and will be for the next 7 years but he's doing his best to contribute towards the tank in a meaningful way. As the cap goes up in the next few years and the Flames sell off our high $$ players, his salary will be a massive contribution towards meeting the cap floor... and its not like he's contributing nothing. Every team needs a few 50 pt players. We're just paying twice what he's worth.

 

[herashak]

Yeah it’s not getting better .. I hope he does the honourable thing and retires after year 4

 

[Mobiandi]

Needs a good sports psychologist. No reason why he should be tied with me in points for the month of December.

 

[Body Checker]

I mean you see glimpses with the guy, gets himself in good positions at times, physical in the corner at times, gets some good shots off at times but just can’t seem to string solid plays together consistently. Now I wonder if he just got more ice time thus more chances at making plays overall in Florida so eventually he made enough good plays to be a high points guy. I dunno, weird that he became a Flame, weirder that he signed a long term deal to stay in Calgary and really weird that he’s in the spot that he is.

 

[joescores]

This.

You healthy scratch guys for lack of effort, not being underwhelming.

So what do you do with the underwhelming guys?

 

[Felidae]

There was a good stretch of games after he broke his goal scoring drought were he started creating offense with some nice passes consistently. Even dishing out hits occasionally alongside notable defensive efforts here and there.

Seems like he's gone back to being a turnover machine though.

 

[deleted user]

There was a good stretch of games after he broke his goal scoring drought were he started creating offense with some nice passes consistently. Even dishing out hits occasionally alongside notable defensive efforts here and there.

Seems like he's gone back to being a turnover machine though.

Seems like he's gone back to being a turnover machine though.

Aye, so bad that it's deserving of x2. I concur. XD

 

[joescores]

Tatar not a bad trade for 5th...Cheap..If we could get Duclair for something similar, I would be prepared doing it.

Or try Huberdeau at centre with Coronato and Dube/Peltier when back.

 

[Fig]

There was a good stretch of games after he broke his goal scoring drought were he started creating offense with some nice passes consistently. Even dishing out hits occasionally alongside notable defensive efforts here and there.

Seems like he's gone back to being a turnover machine though.

Being a baker is not a good career move for huberdeau.