Reason behind Jonathan Huberdeau's major struggles in Calgary disclosed by Flames teammate Chris Tanev

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Nov 11, 2023 03:06 GMT

Jonathan Huberdeau's career with the Calgary Flames has not started well, given the expectations that were placed on him when the franchise signed him in 2022.

Huberdeau's significant drop in performance with the Flames has left fans and analyst scratching their heads. In a recent episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, Huberdeau's teammate Chris Tanev sat down with Elliotte Friedman to discuss the reasons behind the Jonathan Huberdeau's struggles in Calgary.

Chris Tanev had a pretty straightforward response. He stated that while Huberdeau has been with the team for over a year, however, he's still figuring out what the difference is playing in the Western Conferenc, as compared to the Eastern Conference.

Notably, before joining the Flames in the West, Jonathan Huberdeau was with the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference. Tanve reckoned that Huberdeau was a completely different player and that what he did at the Eastern Conference was truly remarkable, but that he hasn't been able to replicate the same.

"Friedman on 32TP: "We interviewed Chris Tanev tonight... and one of the things he talked about was it's a year in and Huberdeau is still recognizing how much different it is to play in the West, like some of the stuff he does in the Eastern Conference, he can't do"

The 30-year-old winger has played 13 games so far, notching up seven points through two goals and five assists. In 2022, when Huberdeau joined the Flames, the franchise signed him to an eight-year, $84 million deal (the biggest in the franchise's history).

Given his massive contract, there's a huge expectation from him to deliver this season, with the Flames languishing at sixth in the league's Western Conference.

Jonathan Huberdeau's career stats

Calgary Flames v Seattle Kraken

Huberdeau was drafted No. 3 overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2011 NHL draft. He played for a decade with the Cats and emerged as one of the best forwards in the league.

He joined the Calgary Flames in the 2022-23 season. This season marked the 12th for Jonathan Huberdeau in the league. In his debut season with the Flames, the 30-year-old winger had 55 points (15 goals and 40 assists) in 79 games. He had a career-high 115 points with the Panthers in the 2021-22 season.

Overall, Huberdeau has played 763 games, recording 675 points through 215 goals and 460 assists.