Value of: The price for the Flames to get rid of the Huberdeau contract this summer

[LeBrun is a Clown]

Bob Murray, Calgary Flames pro scout and muscle, throwing a barstool at one poor GM's head as an intimidation tactic.

Ducks' GM involved in press box incident

Ducks' Bob Murray involved in press box incident

www.latimes.com

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Lmao he’s been way better that last 45 games or so. Obviously it’s not going to ever be a good contract. I expect him to put up near 70 points a year. we don’t need the space. We have boat loads of cap space. Why would we pay assets to get rid of him? It’s idiotic.

 

[WarriorofTime]

7 years, full no movement clause.

Put a helmet on him and get that Michael Dukakis photo-op ready because he's a Tank Commander.

 

[ottawa]

Oof, that contract...Huberd'oh

 

[unicornBLOOD]

it'd be costly, just like Campbell in Edmonton. Huberdeau is much more useful than Campbell, but he makes more than twice as much, and is signed for twice as long. Both contracts would cost a lot to move.

 

[HighLifeMan]

Is he cooked? Seems like a terminally bad fit in Calgary who could be a reclamation project somewhere else. Or is there an injury I'm not aware of? The Pens have money to burn and nothing to lose by taking on reclamation projects, but that's a little too long of a contract to hold onto. Ideally the Pens have burned it down, post Crosby, and are back into playoff contention before that contract is up. Doesn't really fit the push to get younger. Maybe a bad contract for bad contract swap? Can I interest you in a slightly used Ryan Graves and Ricard Rakell?

No, I wouldn't say that he is "cooked".

Calgary lacks high end talent and creativity, and that really hurts Huberdeau specifically. Huberdeau is a pure playmaker, and in that sense he is indeed very much a complementary piece, but given the right situation and fit there is no doubt in my mind he could still produce significant offensive totals.

To add some context to that - even by Calgary adding a purely offensive player like Kuzmenko to the lineup has done wonders for Huberdeau on the powerplay alone. Huberdeau has 13 PP points in 28 games with Kuzmenko in the lineup, and 6 PP points in 52 games without him. He needs a certain skillset and talent level to work with. His most common linemates this year have been Sharangovich, Backlund and Coleman, yet people expect him to produce elite totals. It's not going to happen until more top end talent is injected into the lineup.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

Huberdeau is a better player than a number of those forwards, who are all likely to sign contracts that have a fair amount of risk attached to them at the trail end of it.

For a team like the one I mentioned previously, it's a realistic alternative for a team that may not be at the top of the list of places those top UFAs are looking to sign.

As for Huberdeau at $5m, that's just nonsense. And that's coming from someone who criticized that signing from the very beginning. Calgary fans will remember.

I'm going to disagree with you on this. I'll explain my point for multiple reasons and we can even run a hypothetical.

We're talking 5.25m for 7 years (if 50% retained) on a 31 year winger ( @ time of opening day roster) with 5 more years of a full NMC, last 2 years a M-NTC. Even ignoring this, the contract is buyout proof as it's massively injected with signing bonus and extremely low base salary. Look the contract up.

If he was a UFA this summer, firm on a 7 year full 5 year NTC with all that signing bonus making the contract buyout proof, how many clubs are going 5.25m with his current production as we've seen the last 2 years in Calgary? Honestly I think he'd have a really hard time pulling a full NMC or 7 year term, period. Let alone both + the signing bonus situation.

Flames won't retain on a 7 year deal, and there isn't a club I imagine dying to add him. That Montreal example someone posted might be the only remotely workable way. Posters bring up Karlsson, he was coming off a massive 100 point rebound season and had 4 years left, not 7. Those last 3 additional years are pure anchors.

 

[madmike77]

Let’s be honest - the Flames are the type of rebuilding team that takes on contracts like this. Why would they deal him? They’re not cap-strapped and they’re not competing for the Cup any time soon.

It makes more sense to stockpile assets and use Huberdeau to stay at the cap floor.

 

[HuGo Sham]

There's always the potential of making a crap for crap deal where Calgary puts themselves in a position to take 'worse' quality assets at a lower cap hit. And in exchange the acquiring team pays a fair price for the asset and the opportunity to move some unwanted contracts.

Example Montreal moving Gallagher and Anderson. That would offset the salaries for the first four seasons of the contract. Of course there are the five and eight team NTCs that almost certainly contain Calgary. So for good reasons these types of trades almost never occur.

Should've traded Huberdeau the moment they acquired him. Coming off of an entirely unsustainable 115 point season, making $5.9m, only $4.2m in real dollars. He would've pulled a hefty return even without retention.

absolutely 0 chance Montreal moves Anderson and Gallagher for Huberdeau.
Is this even a serious proposal?
He's making 10.5 for the next SEVEN years.
Who cares if it offsets the cost?
It's not even offset for 4 years, it's 3.
Both anderson and gallagher are off the books in three.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Habs might if Flames give up their first and take Price contract back?

no way

 

[HuGo Sham]

Best shot would be to find a couple of the NHL's worst contracts, strap a top 10 pick to Hubby and hope they are optimistic enough to accept.

Maybe Gallagher + Anderson for Huburdeau, 2024 first and Wolf. Contracts would be expired by the time the flames are ready to compete again in 2027.

as mentioned, problem with this is the terrible backend of this deal when Huberdeau is making 10 mill and the two players we dealt to the flames for him are off the books. Those last 4 years is when habs have to start paying some of their young stars.
The 1st is nice but habs have 4, 1st rounders in the next two draft and don't need more picks.
wolf is nice but habs have primeau and montembeault - both still young by goalie standards and Dobes / Fowler knocking at the door

 

[belair]

absolutely 0 chance Montreal moves Anderson and Gallagher for Huberdeau.
Is this even a serious proposal?
He's making 10.5 for the next SEVEN years.
Who cares if it offsets the cost?
It's not even offset for 4 years, it's 3.
Both anderson and gallagher are off the books in three.

You're right, it's three. The difference is that Huberdeau is still a productive top line winger while the other two are declining--one rather significantly.

Regardless, it was an example.

 

[Nakawick]

Jarry and Graves for Huberdeau at 9 mil?

 

[HuGo Sham]

You're right, it's three. The difference is that Huberdeau is still a productive top line winger while the other two are declining--one rather significantly.

Regardless, it was an example.

Huberdeau, imo, won't be productive in the last 4-5 years of that contract when the habs are forced to eat 10.5 mill a year.
Gallagher turned it around the last 1/4 of the year and I'd also be surprised if he is even able to finish his contract because of injuries. His decline will also necessitate a cheaper buyout - than huberdeau.
Anderson had an atrocious year, but is still useful as a big, bodied forward - on a team like habs with smaller forwards.
He's only 29 and I expect a bounce back year - where he's playing with a better C and scores his 20 goals

 

[Trojans86]

The main problem is that Calgary is likely to be entering a rebuild, even though ownership apparently doesn't realize this yet. Calgary is exactly in the right position to take on such contracts, and doesn't have the spare assets to send off such a contract.

Otherwise, you'd need to find a team entering a rebuild and bribe them with futures... but Calgary doesn't have futures to give up without hurting itself in the long run. And it would be a tough sell to find a team entering a rebuild and willing to take on this kind of contract, since it might still be competitive, but management realizes they'll need to a full rebuild soon (thinking of a team like Pittsburgh here).

I feel like you need a team in the middle of a run and just eat 25-50%. That’s a lot to eat but the only way he is tradeable imo

 

[belair]

Huberdeau, imo, won't be productive in the last 4-5 years of that contract when the habs are forced to eat 10.5 mill a year.
Gallagher turned it around the last 1/4 of the year and I'd also be surprised if he is even able to finish his contract because of injuries. His decline will also necessitate a cheaper buyout - than huberdeau.
Anderson had an atrocious year, but is still useful as a big, bodied forward - on a team like habs with smaller forwards.
He's only 29 and I expect a bounce back year - where he's playing with a better C and scores his 20 goals

I don't see that regression occurring anytime soon. Huberdeau is the type of winger that elevates when he plays with skilled linemates. I think he'd do well in a situation where there's a younger core.

It's not like he plays an overly physical game or relies on his footspeed to push him over the top. He's always just been a good, cerebral player. I think he'll age just fine.

I like Anderson, too. But he doesn't exactly have a consistent level of productivity throughout his career. And he carries a pretty significant injury risk considering the history and playstyle.

 

[HuGo Sham]

I don't see that regression occurring anytime soon. Huberdeau is the type of winger that elevates when he plays with skilled linemates. I think he'd do well in a situation where there's a younger core.

It's not like he plays an overly physical game or relies on his footspeed to push him over the top. He's always just been a good, cerebral player. I think he'll age just fine.

I like Anderson, too. But he doesn't exactly have a consistent level of productivity throughout his career. And he carries a pretty significant injury risk considering the history and playstyle.

good points and you're not wrong. That contract still scares the crap out of me

 

[pth2]

good points and you're not wrong. That contract still scares the crap out of me

Over 32-35, some players go through slow, graceful degradation.... others fall off a cliff. If you're getting the best years of a guy, you take the risk. Otherwise, you pass.

I remember Janne Niinimaa as an Oiler, and as a Hab. That was no graceful degradation...

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

I don't think Jonathan cares about winning a cup right now. He's just cashing in his fat cheques. His pay cheques are roughly $870,500USD.

 

[Double Dion]

I'm going to disagree with you on this. I'll explain my point for multiple reasons and we can even run a hypothetical.

We're talking 5.25m for 7 years (if 50% retained) on a 31 year winger ( @ time of opening day roster) with 5 more years of a full NMC, last 2 years a M-NTC. Even ignoring this, the contract is buyout proof as it's massively injected with signing bonus and extremely low base salary. Look the contract up.

If he was a UFA this summer, firm on a 7 year full 5 year NTC with all that signing bonus making the contract buyout proof, how many clubs are going 5.25m with his current production as we've seen the last 2 years in Calgary? Honestly I think he'd have a really hard time pulling a full NMC or 7 year term, period. Let alone both + the signing bonus situation.

Flames won't retain on a 7 year deal, and there isn't a club I imagine dying to add him. That Montreal example someone posted might be the only remotely workable way. Posters bring up Karlsson, he was coming off a massive 100 point rebound season and had 4 years left, not 7. Those last 3 additional years are pure anchors.

All 7 years are pure anchors. This contract is as close to unmovable as any contract in league history. Thanks Murray.

Jarry and Graves for Huberdeau at 9 mil?

Done

 

[Double Dion]

Huberdeau, imo, won't be productive in the last 4-5 years of that contract when the habs are forced to eat 10.5 mill a year.
Gallagher turned it around the last 1/4 of the year and I'd also be surprised if he is even able to finish his contract because of injuries. His decline will also necessitate a cheaper buyout - than huberdeau.
Anderson had an atrocious year, but is still useful as a big, bodied forward - on a team like habs with smaller forwards.
He's only 29 and I expect a bounce back year - where he's playing with a better C and scores his 20 goals

Anderson and Gallagher are bad contracts. Horrible contracts actually. Anyone expecting Anderson to bounce back is delusional.

That said, both together aren't even close to as bad as the Huberdeau contract. This is the worst contract in league history. Even including DiPietro.

 

[Bond]

Flames management might say they are retooling, but the team is definitely going into a rebuild.

Their two best centers are mid 30s. They have two top four defencemen. Their #1 goalie is reaching the end of the road.

They had to overpay for free agents when they were a playoff threat. What's the option in the offseason? Zadorov for $5 million?

The team is likely to spend the next 2-4 seasons just bottoming out.

The course here is to just let Huberdeau's contract expire naturally because it''ll take that long for the Flames to get back into a position to compete.

Leave John Bean alone lol

 

[Backlund]

I don't see that regression occurring anytime soon. Huberdeau is the type of winger that elevates when he plays with skilled linemates. I think he'd do well in a situation where there's a younger core.

It's not like he plays an overly physical game or relies on his footspeed to push him over the top. He's always just been a good, cerebral player. I think he'll age just fine.

I like Anderson, too. But he doesn't exactly have a consistent level of productivity throughout his career. And he carries a pretty significant injury risk considering the history and playstyle.

His best season was playing alongside Sam Bennett and Anthony Duclair.

 

[belair]

His best season was playing alongside Sam Bennett and Anthony Duclair.

Are they not skilled linemates?

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Are they not skilled linemates?

1 50+ point season between both guys…