Jonathan Huberdeau's Agent Breaks Silence on Calgary's Serious Issues
Spirits were high in Calgary heading into the 2022-23 campaign.
While they had lost franchise cornerstones Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, they were able to add the offensive superstar Jonathan Huberdeau, two-way blueliner Mackenzie Weegar, and cup-winning centre Nazem Kadri.
With their future core seeming set in place, they signed Kadri, Weegar, and Huberdeau to a combined $183-million in contracts before any of them played a game with the team.
This has proven to be a very boom-or-bust decision, as Huberdeau is playing at only a 55-point pace, while Kadri and Weegar are playing average hockey for their market values.
None of them have wowed, and it's led to a Calgary team with no guarantee for the playoffs.
Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere has shifted in a negative way, and player agent Allan Walsh has now spoken out.
Walsh is Huberdeau's agent, and clearly his client is voicing displeasure.
Doing the same thing over and over likely revolves around acquiring aging players and going all-in every five years. This is clearly unsustainable, especially in a flat-cap league.
NHL insider David Pagnotta added to the claim:
It's hard to know where Calgary goes from here. They're locked into another six years of Kadri, and eight of Huberdeau and Weegar as of next season, and there's no indication any of them will be rejuvenated as they all enter their 30s.
Whether there's a coaching change in the midst, or a big trade on the horizon, something's got to give.
We will see how it all unfolds in Calgary, but things assuredly aren't looking up.
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