Flames Forward Named NHL's Worst Contract

Jonathan Huberdeau's contract leaves the Calgary Flames in a tough spot.

Mar 24, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center Jonathan Huberdeau (10) against the Buffalo Sabres during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports / Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Cap space is everything in the NHL, and as a result, one bad contract can hamper a team for years to come. Unfortunately, this is the very situation the Calgary Flames find themselves in with Jonathan Huberdeau's deal.

Shortly after acquiring Huberdeau in a blockbuster 2022 trade with the Florida Panthers, the Flames signed him to an eight-year, $84 million extension to keep him in Calgary through 2031. Sadly, Huberdeau simply hasn't fit in with the Flames, as he has just 97 points in two seasons. Now, Calgary is stuck paying him $10.5 million per year for the next seven years with no way to get out of it, at least not in the near future.

Unsurprisingly, Huberdeau's contract was recently named the worst in the entire NHL by Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic. Luszczyszyn's model projects Huberdeau to be worth an average of $4.9 million over the next seven years, less than half of what he's actually making.

"Jonathan Huberdeau has the worst contract in hockey. You know it. I know it. He knows it. He’s making franchise forward money for seven more seasons despite scoring like a second-liner in back-to-back seasons," Luszczyszyn writes.

At the time, the trade for Huberdeau seemed like a good move to keep Calgary competitive amidst a mass exodus of stars. After all, he scored 115 points (30 goals, 85 assists) in his final season with the Panthers to help them win the Presidents' Trophy. In Calgary, though, he's yet to even reach half of that point total in a single season.

While the Flames also got defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who has been excellent in Calgary, in the same trade, they likely wish they had this deal back. Being stuck with Huberdeau's contract is one thing, but seeing Matthew Tkachuk, who Calgary sent to Florida in the trade, lead the Panthers to a Stanley Cup just adds insult to injury. Although, seeing the Panthers deny the rival Edmonton Oilers of a championship helps soften the blow a bit.

There's no doubt that Huberdeau's struggles have weighed on him personally, as he looked visibly upset at multiple points last season. Recently, he even revealed his bittersweet emotions on his former team winning the Stanley Cup without him.

“It's tough to see guys lift the Cup,” Huberdeau told La Presse. “I was there for 10 years during tough times. But that's how you build a team. When you're young, you don't care; you just want to build your career. Now I'm back in that situation, but a little bit older.”

Thankfully for Huberdeau, the No. 3 overall pick by Florida in 2011, there is still time to turn it around in Calgary, and he did look a bit better in the second half of last season. He still has a long way to go to live up to that contract, but it could at least be a start towards redemption.

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