Huberdeau shifting back to natural position as Flames fight for their playoff lives

As his team fights for its playoff life, Calgary Flames star Jonathan Huberdeau is going back to the position he set an NHL record playing at.

The Flames (29-24-13, 71 points and fourth in the Western Conference wild card race) host the Ottawa Senators on TSN5 at 9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT, and for the first time since late December, Huberdeau will play at left wing. Last season with the Florida Panthers, he had 115 points, the most-ever recorded in league history by a left winger. After early season struggles, head coach Darryl Sutter switched Huberdeau to his off-wing in late-December. Now, Huberdeau is on the left side on a trio with Nazem Kadri and Dillon Dube. 

From the start of the season until Dec. 27, Huberdeau was on the left side. In those 33 games, he had 24 points and was +3. He was switched to the right side starting Dec. 28, Since then, he has 18 points in 30 games and is -10. 

“It was really nice to be back. When you see the ice for like 10-plus years on the left it’s different to get on the right,” Huberdeau said after Saturday’s practice.

It’s clear he feels far more comfortable in the position he’s played for most of his hockey career.

“I’ve always played left wing,” he continued. “It just makes sense. I like to open up my hips so I can see the ice way more than when I’m on my backhand. I feel I close my shoulder and I can’t see the ice as much.”

Sutter said the switch was due to both Huberdeau’s lack of production and making room for rookie Jakob Pelletier.

“We brought up Jakob Pelletier,” he said. 

“We wanted to get him in where we could find a good spot for him. If you look, there was a spike in Huberdeau’s game when we put Pelletier with him…The bottom line is, Naz and Johnny can play together. So if you just do it, obviously everybody just  looks at goals, assists, and points, but when those guys get you a goal, assist, or point, we have a better record than when they don’t.”

Sutter went on to downplay the switch, adding that he doesn’t think “it makes much difference what position he plays. It’s more, the whole game for him.”

Huberdeau flipping between the left- and right- side is the latest chapter in a difficult first season in Calgary. He has not come close to the production he had in Florida and is on pace for 53 points, which would be his lowest full-season total since his 2013-14 sophomore campaign when he had 28 points in 69 games. He is playing 16:52 per game, his fewest minutes since the 2014-15 season, and over two-and-a-half minutes less than last season. Huberdeau left the bench during the Oct. 29 game versus the Edmonton Oilers. When asked about it afterwards, Sutter said he thought the winger “had to go take a sh*t.” On Feb. 16, Huberdeau’s agent Alan Walsh tweeted that “negativity sucks the joy right out of players” and tagged the team account.

Despite the struggles, Huberdeau has been a public face for the franchise, played a big role in Pelletier’s development, and been involved in the Calgary community. 

His eight-year, $84 million extension, the richest contract in Flames franchise history, starts next season.