Jonathan Huberdeau was completely blindsided.
Coming off a 115-point performance for the Florida Panthers in 2021-22 — a career-best campaign that included the organization's first trip to the second round of the playoffs since an unlikely run to the 1995 Stanley Cup final — the star forward couldn't believe what was happening.
The team that selected Huberdeau with the No. 3 overall pick at the 2011 NHL draft and anointed him a franchise cornerstone had just made a jaw-dropping decision.
He was heading to Alberta.
The Panthers traded Huberdeau and defenceman MacKenzie Weegar to the Calgary Flames in July 2022 as part of a blockbuster deal that saw winger Matthew Tkachuk go the other way.
Florida, which was looking to remake its roster despite a 122-point regular season and the team's first-ever Presidents' Trophy, reached the Cup final the following spring and then went a step further by hoisting hockey's holy grail last June.
Calgary, meanwhile, failed to make the playoffs in consecutive campaigns, while Huberdeau struggled mightily with the transition — on and off the ice — after signing an eight-year, US$84-million contract extension.
"There's a lot that goes into being traded when you're not expecting it," Flames head coach Ryan Huska said. "That first year was a tough one for him, and I feel like the second year when it didn't get off to a great start, things kind of snowballed.
"He started to question a little bit who he was and where his game was going."
Huberdeau's contract was looking like an albatross until finally, he managed to exhale this summer. A weight was lifted. Calgary, in turn, is reaping the benefits.
The St-Jerome, Que., product is tied with linemate Nazem Kadri atop the well-balanced, defence-first Flames' stats page with 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) across 67 games in 2024-25.
Not expected to challenge for a playoff spot, Calgary (31-25-11) is hanging tough in a battle with a trio of teams for the Western Conference's second wild-card berth.
"We don't really listen to the outside noise," Huberdeau said. "We believe in ourselves in this locker room. We're a close group. It's going to be a great push to the end."
He also knows the days of 100-point seasons are probably behind him — at least for now. Focusing on a 200-foot game, however, including getting back on the penalty kill, has helped his overall performance.
"Playing both sides of the puck, be more reliable defensively … that makes a big difference," said the 31-year-old, who sits five goals off his career-best. "We're playing more of a defensive game, but that's how we get success. I'm not thinking about my personal stats. It's about making the playoffs."
Weegar has played his entire career alongside Huberdeau. He watched his friend and teammate's initial struggles in Alberta up close.
"He's just comfortable," the blueliner said of this season's change. "He's put a lot of that stuff behind him and he's playing free. He's cut the cord with his contract and Florida."
Huberdeau had 55 points in 79 games in 2022-23 after inking that big-money deal with the Flames before registering 52 points in 81 games in 2024-25.
The lack of production in a Canadian market — with nowhere to hide — weighed on him.
"That's natural," Kadri said. "When you're a great player and you want to score and you want to contribute offensively, and it's not going your way, it can be quite easy to get discouraged."
This season has been different after a summer reset and a shifted mindset.
"He knows where he belongs," Huska said. "It wasn't all about, 'I have to put up points to have value or show value to this team.' He's almost gone opposite. He's turned himself into a very good 200-foot player that is now contributing (offensively) because of that.
"Really dug into all aspects of the game."
Huberdeau realized, in the end, it was on him to find the right balance across the board.
"You have to adjust," he said. "It was hard to not be able to help the team the past few years. This year has been better.
"I feel more like myself."
OVIE'S CHASE
Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record is into the home stretch. The Washington Capitals winger sits eight back from breaking the Great One's mark of 894. The 39-year-old has 14 games left to eclipse the mark in 2024-25, including one matchup against a Canadian team — next Tuesday against the Jets in Winnipeg.
WOLF PACK
Flames rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf is another massive reason why the club is in the playoff chase. The 23-year-old from Gilroy, Calif., is 22-14-5 with a .912 save percentage, a 2.62 goals-against average and three shutouts in 41 appearances.
"He usually comes up big for us," Kadri said of the six-foot, 166-pound netminder taken in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. "He's ready for that moment."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2025.
Joshua Clipperton's weekly NHL notebook is published every Wednesday.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
