An enticing trade proposal has the Calgary Flames mercilessly moving on from underachieving star Jonathan Huberdeau by unloading his contract to a Western Conference rival.
Two years ago, the Flames traded superstar Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, star defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional 2025 first-round draft choice. Huberdeau then signed an eight-year extension with Calgary worth $84 million.
The trade felt like a win-win for both teams. Huberdeau was coming off a career year in which he tallied 30 goals and 115 points, leading Florida to the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy for being the league’s top regular season team.
But Jonathan Huberdeau’s contract has become a disaster for Calgary. A year after scoring 15 goals and 55 points, he regressed even further with 12 goals and 52 points. So if there’s an NHL player who needs a fresh start more than anybody else, it’s Huberdeau.
Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz proposed a blockbuster trade that has Calgary sending Huberdeau to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Colton Parayko:
“Parayko can still defend well and log big minutes, which is the type of player the Flames could use on their blue line after trading Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin the past two years. There would also be some salary cap savings if no money was retained.
The Blues could use an offensive boost after finishing 24th in goals scored this past season and also need to start finding ways to revamp a defense that is full of big contracts and has become stale over the years. They also have the salary cap space to handle the increase in money that Huberdeau would bring.”
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The Blues finished with 92 points last season, six behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They were undone by a lackluster offense that finished 24th in goals for,
With Calgary in rebuilding mode, general manager Craig Conroy would be wise to take any offer he can get for Huberdeau. And the former Panther should be more than willing to accept a fresh start, especially a team like St. Louis that would give him the opportunity to produce in their top-six right away.
Jonathan Huberdeau Could Help Blues Re-Emerge As A Playoff Team
St. Louis has only won a single playoff series since capturing their first Stanley Cup championship in 2019. With young studs like Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and Jake Neighbours in their primes, GM Doug Armstrong shouldn’t be afraid to make a win-now move for a player like Huberdeau.
The contract is a concern, but Huberdeau should regain that consistent 70-point form we saw for years in Florida. If Calgary ate some of the money or took back a pricy contract like Parayko’s, the Blues would have every reason to take a chance on Huberdeau.
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