Calgary Flames fans were excited when they signed Jonathan Huberdeau last summer. Of course, it was heartbreaking to see players like Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk sign for other teams, but Huberdeau was one of the standout players during the 2021-22 season.
With 115 points to his name, it was understandable that they gave him a hefty contract.
Huberdeau signed the biggest contracts in Flames’ history, but it didn’t work out well. The Flames missed the playoffs, and for Huberdeau, it was a first season to forget.
Huberdeau only recorded 55 points in his first year with the Flames. That’s his worst season since 2014-15 when he had 54 points. Next season, Huberdeau’s AAV increases from $5.9M to $10.5M, and he has to perform a lot better for the Flames to feel it’s a bang for the buck.
In fact, Huberdeau’s first season with the Flames was so bad he set a new NHL record (h/t: thewincolumn), and it’s undoubtedly one of the saddest ones.
Huberdeau scored 115 points in his last season with the Florida Panthers but only scored 15 goals and 40 assists with the Flames. With that, he set a new NHL record for the largest drops in point production from one season to the next.
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Bill Barber scored 112 points with the Flyers in 1976; the following season, he only managed to score 55. His drop in points, -57, was the previous worst in NHL history, but now, Huberdeau has passed him on the sad record.
Calgary Flames fans haven’t been happy with coach Darryl Sutter this year, and Huberdeau has played a more defensive role than what he’s used with. Maybe, a new coach would be just what Huberdeau would need to get going again.
