Can Jonathan Huberdeau bounce back In 2026-27?

What Went Wrong?

The question with Jonathan Huberdeau’s play has always been “what went wrong?” A 115-point player and one of the NHL’s most prolific playmakers, and a two-time all star doesn’t forget how to play hockey. Let’s break it down.

Inconsistent line-mates

In Sunrise, Huberdeau played with star centre Aleksander Barkov for most of his tenure. When he came to Calgary, his line-mates were far from consistent. Darryl Sutter had Huberdeau playing on his off wing for much of 22-23, with a revolving door of linemates including Dillon Dube, Andrew Mangiapane, Blake Coleman, etc.

Since joining the Flames, finding the right line-mates has been a struggle. Huberdeau never had chemistry with top line centre Elias Lindholm, bouncing Huberdeau between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd line for both 22-23 and 23-24. No disrespect to any of the aforementioned players, but it’s understandable that Huberdeau struggled going from being centred by Barkov compared to Backlund.

Calgary’s play style

Huberdeau can be and still is an elite player; the Flames need to capitalize on his strong points. During his time with Florida, Huberdeau’s elite vision and puck IQ were on full display. The Panthers play a high-pressure rush style of hockey compared to Calgary’s conservative dump-and-chase style. With younger and more skilled players coming down the pipe, we can only hope that Calgary moves on from this style of play.

Potential injury

Take this one with a grain of salt, but there have been rumblings online that Huberdeau has been managing hip-related symptoms throughout not only this season but for a large portion of his time in Calgary.

If this is true, it makes sense. Hip resurfacing surgery is no joke for a pro athlete. This surgery is known to be occasionally career-ending. Patrick Kane had this surgery a couple of years back, and he fully recovered. Thankfully, from what we have heard, that is the prognosis for Huberdeau as well.

Can Huberdeau bounce back?

Huberdeau will be 33 years old when the puck drops on the 26-27 season. His prime is behind him, and Flames fans know that.

Buying his contract out is always an option, but the chance of that happening is slim to none. Craig Conroy and company haven’t given up on Huberdeau. His hockey IQ, vision and leadership are still huge positives for a young club in transition.

The premise of Huberdeau feeding pucks to Matvei Gridin, Zayne Parekh or Matt Coronato on the power play for a full 82 games is an interesting point of discussion. Don’t expect another 115-point season, or even an 80 or 90-point season from Huberdeau going forward. His role isn’t to be the superstar anymore; it’s to be part of the supporting cast.

The truth is, Huberdeau, despite being an elite playmaker, was never the star player back in Florida. He is extremely talented and is magic with the puck, but he’s only as good as the support around him. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that another 60-65 point season could be on the horizon in 26-27.

It hasn’t been an easy route, but expect Huberdeau to come into camp with a chip on his shoulder and ready to compete for his spot on the roster this fall.