Speculation: Jonathan Huberdeau is open to waiving his NMC to go to a contender

[Hookslide]

Seriously? You're implying that nobody would want a $5.25m current 50-60 pt player who has a possible higher pts upside playing with the right line mates?

The problem is the years left on the contract, that is why, I suggest another team getting involved to spread out the contract.

 

[KevinRedkey]

Not that he would do this, but is it possible to mutually terminate a contract?' I've seen it done for low level guys with 1 year left, but never for anything of this magnitude. There may be details I'm not aware of.

Again - he wouldn't do it because it would cost him tens of millions. I'm more just curious if it's even legal.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Seriously? You're implying that nobody would want a $5.25m current 50-60 pt player who has a possible higher pts upside playing with the right line mates?

Have you looked at the term of the contract? The guy is 31 years old and has seven years left on the deal. He had a soft 50 points. Imagine what he looks like in two or three years. Even at 50%, Calgary is adding.

 

[Senor Catface]

Have you looked at the term of the contract? The guy is 31 years old and has seven years left on the deal. He had a soft 50 points. Imagine what he looks like in two or three years. Even at 50%, Calgary is adding.

For Flames fans, it's probably easier not to look.

 

[Fatass]

Have you looked at the term of the contract? The guy is 31 years old and has seven years left on the deal. He had a soft 50 points. Imagine what he looks like in two or three years. Even at 50%, Calgary is adding.

Even if the Flamesvpaid a first for a third club to retain an additional 25% no team would want Huberdough at even 75% off. He’s way too toxic. Huberdough is a Flame unless he gets sent Robidas Island.

 

[vcanuck]

Uberdough is the new Loui Eriksson but flame fans haven't accepted it yet.

no team is going gamble even with 50% retention and HOPE that he clicks with their other players.. because if he doesn't that team is stuck with an aging washed up player for 6 more years.

 

[belair]

Nurse for huberdeau

Who says no?

Nurse.

 

[chaser17]

Huberdeaus game falling off a cliff needs an extensive study done. Like sure not playing with Barkov anymore hurts him but the guy was an elite playmaker in Florida. Yet Barkov has only eclipsed 30 goals TWICE. So not sure you can say that he was being completely carried can you?

 

[Fatass]

Uberdough is the new Loui Eriksson but flame fans haven't accepted it yet.

no team is going gamble even with 50% retention and HOPE that he clicks with their other players.. because if he doesn't that team is stuck with an aging washed up player for 6 more years.

7 more years, but who’s counting when it’s that long.

Huberdeaus game falling off a cliff needs an extensive study done. Like sure not playing with Barkov anymore hurts him but the guy was an elite playmaker in Florida. Yet Barkov has only eclipsed 30 goals TWICE. So not sure you can say that he was being completely carried can you?

Flames could do the unilateral contract termination like the Flyers are doing with RyJo.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Even if the Flamesvpaid a first for a third club to retain an additional 25% no team would want Huberdough at even 75% off. He’s way too toxic. Huberdough is a Flame unless he gets sent Robidas Island.

AT $2.6 million, I think some doors might open. But the term is horrible

Uberdough is the new Loui Eriksson but flame fans haven't accepted it yet.

no team is going gamble even with 50% retention and HOPE that he clicks with their other players.. because if he doesn't that team is stuck with an aging washed up player for 6 more years.

Uberdough? Nice!

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Is he also going to mutually terminate his contract?

Yes, and on that subject he is unanimous.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

I cannot seem to remember the last time I have seen this many players all wanting to leave one city.

Also, LOL at Huby. Cgy would love to send you on your way too.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Huberdeau for Nurse?

I had to say it.

 

[Siludin]

Buy out would honestly be best

 

[Suntouchable13]

Thanks, no. Gallagher has three years left and Dvorak's contract is done at the end of this season, while Huberdeau has another seven seasons left. I'm not saying Calgary would offer more, but they would need to offer a lot more for the Canadiens to accept that deal.

3 years left on Gallagher? Holy f***ing shit, man. Bergy did a number on the Habs, did he not?

 

[StewieP19]

I hope in the next Collective convention the owner will fight to have a ''Franchise Player''
I mean one guy per team doesn't count on salary cap. It can help teams who got real franchise players to keep them or help a team with a bad contract to stay competitive

 

[5 Hole]

Not that he would do this, but is it possible to mutually terminate a contract?' I've seen it done for low level guys with 1 year left, but never for anything of this magnitude. There may be details I'm not aware of.

Again - he wouldn't do it because it would cost him tens of millions. I'm more just curious if it's even legal.

I am curious about this as well. Can a player & team just decide to walk away from a contract if it's mutual?

 

[lawrence]

Is he also going to mutually terminate his contract?

I hope not.

I do feel they want to ltir him.

 

[BKarchitect]

Huberdeaus game falling off a cliff needs an extensive study done. Like sure not playing with Barkov anymore hurts him but the guy was an elite playmaker in Florida. Yet Barkov has only eclipsed 30 goals TWICE. So not sure you can say that he was being completely carried can you?

His advanced metrics his 115 point year were pretty bad - it was clearly a one-off year regardless if he was still on Florida or not. The Panthers saw that, his poor playoff performance and upcoming contract and smartly got ahead of the bus.

If you take out that outlier season, the drop-off looks far less wild. Still significant for sure but not quite as historically bad.

Here are his PPG and ages with the outlier season removed:

0.68 - 21
0.78 - 22
0.84 - 23
0.84 - 24
1.12 - 25
1.13 - 26
1.11 - 27
0.70 - 29 (CGY)
0.64 - 30 (CGY)

Reads an awful lot like the typical bell curve for an offense-first star forward. Gradually ramp up to a peak in his mid-20’s with significant scoring slowdown by 30, aided by being traded to a worse team with less offensive help.

Huberdeau’s practical peak was as a 90 point playmaker with a large reliance on others being able to convert, heavy offensive zone starts and massive PP minutes. Excellent player, great offensive creator - but take away that 115 point year and I just don’t see this as that mystifying. It was bad, bad scouting by the Flames in all regards and then compounded by the immediate, sight unseen, extension.

 

[Kahvi]

I am curious about this as well. Can a player & team just decide to walk away from a contract if it's mutual?

Yes, you see that every now and then. Usually fringe European NHL:er, who wants to go back to Europe.

 

[pth2]

Even at 50%, who wants him?

And at 50%, is it in any way interesting for Calgary to move him?

That 50% won't be freed up by LTIR when he's in those last, painful seasons.

 

[belair]

And at 50%, is it in any way interesting for Calgary to move him?

That 50% won't be freed up by LTIR when he's in those last, painful seasons.

Painful seasons? He doesn't seem to miss a lot of time and he doesn't play a game that's overly taxing on his body.

I agree that Calgary wouldn't really benefit moving him at 50% unless there's some significant value coming back to them. But I think that Huberdeau's decline is frequently overstated. Play him on a line with a solid finisher and a good puck retriever and you'll be happy with what you get.

 

[trellaine201]

I hope in the next Collective convention the owner will fight to have a ''Franchise Player''
I mean one guy per team doesn't count on salary cap. It can help teams who got real franchise players to keep them or help a team with a bad contract to stay competitive

great idea! I have been thinking and saying this for years.

 

[Volica]

Painful seasons? He doesn't seem to miss a lot of time and he doesn't play a game that's overly taxing on his body.

I agree that Calgary wouldn't really benefit moving him at 50% unless there's some significant value coming back to them. But I think that Huberdeau's decline is frequently overstated. Play him on a line with a solid finisher and a good puck retriever and you'll be happy with what you get.

They have him with Pospisil and Mantha to start this year. They're trying to recreate the Bennett-Duclair thing he had in Florida.
I don't think coming into a Sutter system really helped Jonathan, not after all those years in Florida where it was just run-and-gun.

In terms of Calgary.
We're right at the league bottom in terms of cap.
We won't have an significant paychecks to deal out for minimum another 4-5 seasons (Zary and Pospisil won't be 8M dollar men).
It doesn't make sense for us to just ship him somewhere for nothing for another 7 seasons at 50%, it hinders our ability to maximize our rebuild.

I said it earlier in this thread, Calgary's fine with Huberdeau, his contract for the foreseeable future. If he regains his old form, we'll be happy in that it'll speed up the rebuild. If he continues the way he's playing he won't get in the way until the last maybe 2 years of the deal, in which a 50% retention shouldn't hurt the franchise too much.

 

[Nakawick]

I'm sure contenders are lining up to add a 50 point winger for $10M.

Yeah, he needs to prove he is worth trading for.