Pricey Flames' Forward Gets Crushed in The Hockey News Writers Poll

Jonathan Huberdeau didn't fare very well in the recent polls conducted by The Hockey News ahead of the 2024-25 NHL season.

Most fans know that Huberdeau hasn't lived up to his contract since coming to Calgary and getting signed to an eight-year deal worth $10.5 million per season. Huberdeau had 115 points in his final season with the Florida Panthers. He was traded to Calgary in a deal that saw the Panthers acquire Matthew Tkachuk, and since Huberdeau's arrival, he's had seasons with 55 points and 52 points.

Not surprisingly, Huberdeau didn't fare well in some of the poll questions asked of writers here at The Hockey News.

The Most Overpaid Player in the NHL

Darnell Nurse ranked in first place, but Huberdeau came in second, earning 16 of the 56 votes. He was followed by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. This is not a great company to be in, and the hope is that he can explode offensively this season and move down the list, if not off of it.

What Player Or Team's Bad Season Was An Indicator Of Reality?

When asked which lousy season was more an indicator of real life than a fluke that the player might rebound from, Huberdeau ranked first, as the one deal that is going to be a bad one for the Flames from now on.

Interestingly, the second third, and fourth place votes were for teams. Pittsburgh, Seattle, and, not surprisingly, the Calgary Flames were also in the top five as voters assumed these teams were doomed.

MacKenzie Weegar also made this list.

As far as potential trades this season, both Nazem Kadri and Weegar made the list from the Flames. Kadri got four votes and Weegar got two.