Calgary Flames Need to Consider Trading Jonathan Huberdeau

Coming off a career-high 115 points, the Flames signed Huberdeau to an eight-year, $84 million contract after executing the trade. The deal carries an average annual value of $10.5 million.

Even after his more productive season in the Stampede City, scoring 28 goals and tallying 62 points, his most effective season in a Flames uniform by far. However, even at that production level, The Athletic‘s player value model put Huberdeau’s market value at only $5.1 million. Less than 50% of what they are paying him.

Regardless of injury, this number will look worse when they release their 2026 worst contract rankings, and with that, I’d be willing to bet Huberdeau will top that list again.

Trading With Retained Money Only Option to Fix Their Mistake

Over the course of this eight-year contract, the Flames will be ‘losing’ $34 million, according to The Athletic‘s projection comparing production to price using last year’s numbers.

No one is taking this contract at the original number, even if the Flames paid them to take it. Some may be wondering what a buyout would look like. However, while possible, it might as well not be; the Flames would only be saving $4 million of the $52.5 million they still owe over the next five seasons, and barely get a break on the cap hit until the final year of his contract to go along with having an $800,000 cap hit annually on their books until 2035-36 (via Puck Pedia).

Essentially, that leaves the Flames with one option if they want to move him: admit the mistake and retain all 50% of the contract they are allowed to. Simply put, it’s their only way out of the contract.

Why Now Is the Best Time to Trade Huberdeau

Although Huberdeau posted his lowest points per 60-minute pace in 2025-26 since his second season in the league (2013-14), Huberdeau deserves some grace.

After playing 50 games, through what must have been considerable pain, Huberdeau shut it down for the season and underwent hip resurfacing surgery. A procedure that very few return from and remain effective in the NHL.

However, say the Flames are willing to retain as much of the contract as they can and are dangling him on the trade market. Even with him performing somewhere below 50% his contract value, the ‘he was playing in pain’ excuse, for the lack of a better word, will keep teams interested.

Huberdeau is a bit of a unique player, a jack of all trades, master of none, type of guy. He is an excellent playmaker; he consistently creates scoring chances for himself at a well-above league-average rate. The differences in his production season-over-season could be attributed solely to his and his teammates’ shooting percentages, rather than to concerning dips in his offensive-chance production.

Even this season, playing with significant pain, he averaged more scoring and high-danger chances than last season, when he scored 28 goals, and ranks among the league’s top players with 3.15 high-danger assists per 60 minutes (via Natural Stat Trick).

Whether as a top-six or middle-six option, this is the type of production contending teams love to have in their lineup and with 50% retained on the Flames’ part, the price at $5.25 million annually would be much more appetizing to suitors, especially those who have goal scorers but are in need of play drivers.

While no one is hoping that Huberdeau can’t come back at 100%, there is a very real possibility that we’ll never see Huberdeau back to the level he played at in 2024-25, not just because of the injury, but also his unsustainable 18.30 shooting percentage, which allowed him to come within two goals of his career high which he set in 2018-19 and tied again in 2021-22.

This offseason will be the Flames’ chance to use those inflated stats and get away with the ‘he was playing in pain’ reason for why the numbers looked so poor this season.

Reality is, Huberdeau’s point-per-game days are behind him, especially if he continues to play with the Flames, who have next to no offensive firepower.

With retained money, there could be plenty of interest. Several teams around the league are looking to make major changes this offseason. Combine that with a weak free agency class, and this offseason could be the Flames’ best chance to salvage some value from the worst contract in hockey, before it becomes unmovable, if his production does not improve again next season.