Calgary Flames' winger talent rated as one of the worst by NHL analyst despite $84,000,000 forward's comeback season

The Calgary Flames' winger situation has come under scrutiny from NHL analyst Travis Yost, who ranked the team's wing talent as one of the worst in the league. This assessment comes despite a strong comeback season from the team's $84 million forward, Jon Huberdeau.

Huberdeau, signed to an eight-year, $84 million contract, bounced back in a big way last season. He scored 28 goals and 62 points in 81 games. This marked a significant improvement from his previous two seasons, where he had failed to cross the 15-goal threshold.

Despite Huberdeau's comeback, Yost has placed the Flames in the Tier 5 group, which he considers to be among the worst winger groups in the NHL. The Flames are joined in this tier by the Columbus Blue Jackets and Anaheim Ducks.

"Jon Huberdeau calmed a lot of nerves with his 28-goal rebound season in 2024-25, mirroring production of forwards like Vegas’ Jack Eichel and Nashville’s Steven Stamkos,” Yost said via TSN.ca.

“Now, focus can shift to a broader problem: only Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri (35 goals) produced like top-six caliber skaters last year. More offense is sorely needed," he added.

This assessment underscores the importance of the Flames' supporting cast to complement the team's high-priced forward.

While Huberdeau's comeback season was a welcome development, the team's overall winger depth remains a concern, and Yost's analysis suggests the Flames may need to address this issue to compete at the highest level.

Dom Luszczyszyn names Jonathan Huberdeau's $84,000,000 contract with Flames as NHL's worst

The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn named Jonathan Huberdeau's $84 million contract with the Calgary Flames as the NHL's worst.

Using a model that projects future player value, Luszczyszyn highlighted how Huberdeau is already underperforming relative to his lucrative $10.5 million annual salary. Last season, he managed 62 points, a steep decline from the 115 he posted in his final year with the Florida Panthers three seasons ago.

The analyst pointed out that Huberdeau’s projected “Net Rating” for the 2025-26 season is well below what you’d expect from a top-paid player, indicating a steep drop in his value as he heads into his mid-30s.

“While it’s not impossible that Huberdeau can bounce back toward a high-end first-line level, it is very unlikely. Especially with Calgary, a team devoid of much capable offensive help," Luszczyszyn said.

He also highlighted that Huberdeau remains a reliable top-six forward, valued at over $6 million for his current performance. Still, the model predicts his worth will decline faster as he gets deeper into his 30s.