Jonathan Huberdeau excited to start out with Kadri, Coronato in training camp

While they’ve shared the ice together plenty on the power play over the past couple of seasons, Huberdeau, Kadri, and Coronato only spent 130 total minutes of game time as a line at 5-on-5 in the 2024-25 campaign. Coronato spent most of his time last year on the Flames’ checking line with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman; for their part, Huberdeau and Kadri found their greatest success as a duo last season while skating alongside a rotating cast of wingers.

Now, Flames head coach Ryan Huska appears to have come to the reasonable conclusion of playing his best passer with his best shooter, with the guy between them more than capable of doing both. And with both Huberdeau and Coronato having dedicated plenty of time toward improving their play on both sides of the puck last season, there’s a chance the Flames could have a first line that’s capable of doing more than just scoring goals.

“I was a more complete player last year, so I think that’s my main focus this year — be good defensively, and obviously the offensive side is gonna be there,” Huberdeau said. “Obviously, you want to put up more points, but at the end of the day, I think, overall, it was a good year.

“The first two years [in Calgary], I was trying to stay the same player, and obviously, it wasn’t working. I had to change a little bit of stuff, skating more with the puck and stuff like that. That’s what I did last year and I think, you know, I didn’t get that many points, but I think my overall game was better and I was more trusted by the coach.”

Huberdeau has yet to come close to matching the 115 points he managed in his final year with the Panthers, but he finished second to Kadri on the Flames with 62 last year and came within just two goals of matching his career high of 30 in that category. He’s entering the third season of his eight-year, $10.5 million AAV contract with the Flames.

Top forward prospect Matvei Gridin filled in for Huberdeau in his absence on Friday and looks to be subbing in again for Huberdeau with Kadri and Coronato on home ice when the Flames host the Oilers’ “B Team” at the Saddledome on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. MT.