Jonathan Huberdeau Is Feeling Better. Now's the Harder Part

There’s a funny thing about hockey injuries. Sometimes the best news isn't that a player is ready to play. Sometimes it's simply that he isn't hurting anymore. That seems to be where Jonathan Huberdeau is right now.

The Flames winger won't be ready for the start of training camp because of the hip problem that ended his 2025-26 season. But Calgary general manager Craig Conroy says Huberdeau is feeling good and, most importantly, is no longer dealing with the constant pain he had before. Huberdeau is skating. The question now is when his body is ready for the part that actually matters: contact, games and the grind of an NHL season.

And honestly, that may be more important than whether he misses a few days of camp.

Related: GM Craig Conroy Gave the Flames Something They'd Been Missing

The Flames Don't Need Huberdeau to Be Who He Used to Be.

This is where I think Calgary has to be realistic. Huberdeau is 33 years old and entering the fourth season of an eight-year, $84 million contract. Last season he managed just 25 points in 50 games before the hip problem ended his season. That's a long way from the 115-point season he had in Florida before arriving in Calgary.

Nobody is expecting that player to suddenly walk back through the door. What the Flames really need is a healthy Huberdeau who can still make plays, move the puck and give them meaningful minutes. Maybe that's 60 points. Maybe it's 50. Maybe it's simply a player who can stay in the lineup and make the players around him better. That's not nearly as exciting as talking about a comeback season, but it might be more realistic.

And there's another part of this that gets overlooked. Calgary has a lot invested in Huberdeau, both financially and emotionally. This isn't a player they can simply replace if things don't work. His $10.5 million cap hit runs through 2030-31. So every healthy season he gives them matters.

Maybe the Biggest Huberdeau Story Is Simply Getting Him Back.

That's why I'm not overly concerned about him missing the first few days of camp. If Huberdeau needs another week or two to make sure the hip is ready for NHL contact, let him take the time. The Flames don't get extra points for having him participate in the first practice of September. What matters is October, November, December — and hopefully April.

There is also something encouraging in Conroy's comments. He didn't sound like a GM wondering whether Huberdeau would ever play again. He sounded like a GM waiting for a player who is already feeling better to reach the point where he trusts his body again. That's a very different situation.

Maybe the next chapter of Huberdeau's Calgary career doesn't need to be spectacular. Maybe it just needs to be healthy. Sometimes a comeback isn't about becoming the player you were at 27. Sometimes it's about finding out how much of that player is still in there at 33.

Related: Kelly Hrudey Was More Than a Good Hockey Broadcaster