Flames expecting Jonathan Huberdeau back on Saturday against Vegas

The Calgary Flames are expecting to get a big piece of their lineup back on Saturday night.

On Thursday morning, Flames head coach Ryan Huska joined Matt Marchese and Mike Futa on Sportsnet 590’s The FAN Hockey Show. During the interview, he indicated that the Flames are expecting to get Jonathan Huberdeau back on Saturday when they visit the Vegas Golden Knights.

Here’s what Huska answered when asked how close Huberdeau was to a return:

Happy to say really close. Our expectation is that we’ll see him in Vegas for our next game here on Saturday night. So that’s what we’re planning on and we’re hoping for. We have a good practice here tomorrow [and a] pre-game skate, and if everything continues to go as it has right now, we’ll expect him in the lineup that night.

Huberdeau suffered an undisclosed injury back on Oct. 1 in the Flames’ second-last pre-season game when they faced the Vancouver Canucks. Down 8-1 late in the third period, Huberdeau drove the net to try to create a spark for his team… and collided awkwardly head-on with Canucks netminder Kevin Lankinen. He’s been out of the Flames’ lineup ever since, though he began skating with the group earlier this week and he accompanied them to Salt Lake City (and Las Vegas) on their current road trip.

The team’s highest-paid player, Huberdeau was a really important piece for the Flames in 2024-25. He was second on the team in points, behind only Nazem Kadri, and he led all forwards in ice time. The winger saw reps on the club’s first line at five-on-five, along with first unit power play and second unit penalty killing responsibilities.

In Huberdeau’s absence, the Flames have done their best to fill in the gaps caused by his injury. But while his contract is often the subject of hand-wringing by fans, he’s a really good, really important player for the Flames, and they’re a markedly worsened team when he’s not available to them.

The Flames are back in action on Saturday night in Vegas to conclude their two game road trip.