Johnny Gaudreau is one of the best playmakers in the NHL. Johnny Hockey, as he’s often called, made his debut for the Calgary Flames in 2014, and during his eight full seasons with the team, he became a huge favorite with the fans.
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Gaudreau was the Flames’ top scorer for several seasons, and last season, he showed his full potential. He was the engine of Calgary’s offense, leading the team in assists with 75 and points with 115. Johnny Gaudreau became an unrestricted free agent this summer, and to everyone’s big surprise, he chose Columbus Blue Jackets as his next team.
Most would think that losing Johnny Gaudreau would be a huge blow for the Flames, but head coach Darryl Sutter believes otherwise.
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Johnny Gaudreau is a top-tier playmaker, and his 65 assists last year tied him for second-most in a single season in franchise history. But Flames’ new signing Jonathan Huberdeau, who got traded from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Matthew Tkachuk, led the league with 85 assists last season.
And Darryl Sutter has high praise for his new signing. But when talking to Sportnet’s Derek Wills, his saying could also be interpreted as a serious burn on Johnny Gaudreau.
“Jonathan Huberdeau is probably the best passer that this team has had, maybe ever,” Sutter said.
Darryl Sutter also threw some shade over Matthew Tkachuk earlier this pre-season when asked to compare him with Tyler Toffoli. He said that one of the two guys had won a Stanley Cup, and it doesn’t seem to be any sorrow in the Flames team after their change-up this summer. It could be a really fun season!
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