3 Calgary Flames bounce-back candidates for 2024-25 NHL season feat. Jonathan Huberdeau

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Aug 01, 2024 03:34 GMT

The Calgary Flames had a season to forget last year. The club finished near the bottom of the NHL standings, making their bold offseason acquisitions seem ineffective. But with the start of the new season, there’s hope that the Flames can turn things around.

Here’s a closer look at three Calgary Flames players who are on track to have a bounce-back year next season.

3 Calgary Flames bounce-back candidates for 2024-25 season

#3. Mikael Backlund

Calgary's captain had an overall down year last season. After registering a career-high 56 points in 2022-23, his numbers dropped to 39 points. The slide in production was a symptom of an overall down year the entire club had.

Nevertheless, Backlund and the Flames have a talented lineup that can’t stay down for long. He also has talented linemates in Blake Coleman and Jonathan Huberdeau who should provide the support Backlund needs to be successful.

Similarly, Backlund will look to anchor the Flames’ top line as the club looks to climb out of the Pacific Division cellar and get back into the playoff conversation.

#2. Andrei Kuzmenko

Kuzmenko was a key piece in the deal that sent Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks. After a successful first year in which he scored 39 goals, Kuzmenko struggled before being traded to Calgary.

With the Flames, Kuzmenko played 29 games, scoring 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points. So, there’s reason to believe that a full year in Calgary should help Kuzmenko regain the form that made him a near 40-goal scorer in his first year.

Kuzmenko is slated to play with Nazem Kadri, which should help Kuzmenko find that magic that turned him into one of the best goal-scorers in the Western Conference.

#1. Jonathan Huberdeau

Huberdeau was the main piece that came back in the Matthew Tkachuk deal with the Florida Panthers. After a 115-point season with the Panthers in 2021-22, Huberdeau had a poor showing in his first year with the Calgary Flames, registering 55 points.

Last season, Huberdeau’s production dropped slightly further, producing 52 points in 81 games through 12 goals and 40 assists. But don’t count him out just yet. The Canadian is a highly talented player with a solid track record of elite-level numbers.

So, it’s fair to assume that a new season with a full year under Ryan Huska at the helm, Huberdeau and Co. should see a significant improvement over a tough campaign last year. Notably for the club, most of its core will be back next season. That familiarity should help the entire team feel more comfortable as a unit.