Flames must accept success lies in future, not present

The summer of 2022 was not a good one for the Calgary Flames. The team lost its two best players - Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary then replaced them with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri. A year and a half later, it is clear they aren’t the saviors management expected.

Former Flames general manager Brad Treliving should have seen it coming. The rumblings that Gaudreau wanted to play in the United States were always persistent. But instead of preparing for the potential of losing his top player coming off a 115-point season with 40 goals, the Flames let him sign with the Blue Jackets, gaining nothing in return.

Following this debacle, Tkachuk who had just finished a campaign in which he recorded 104 points and 42 goals, made it clear to management he would not sign an extension in Calgary.

The Flames couldn’t repeat the Gaudreau mistake, so they traded Tkachuk to the Panthers in return for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt and a 2025 first-round pick (lottery-protected).

It seemed like a good return as Huberdeau was coming off a 115-point season. The Flames quickly signed him to an extension worth $84 million over eight years.

But Huberdeau struggled in his first season with the Flames, only scoring 15 goals and finishing with 55 points. Meanwhile, Tkachuk had 109 points and helped lead the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season in Florida.

Things have not gotten better for Huberdeau this season. He currently has two goals and seven points and was recently benched for an entire third period against the Predators.