On Thursday at Calgary Flames practice, some new forward combinations were used – as shared by Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg on social media.

But before anyone gets too excited – positively or negatively – about the new lines, head coach Ryan Huska provided a disclaimer: Jonathan Huberdeau, who didn’t skate on Thursday, is expected back in the lineup on Friday against Washington, so the lines will probably change.

“I don’t even know if we’ll use some of those tomorrow because we’re expecting Huby to play, so there will be some changes with our lineup in that regard,” said Huska, via Flames TV.

“Yeah, I’m expecting him to play. He’ll go on the ice in the morning and then, I’m pretty sure he’ll be good.”

The 32-year-old Huberdeau was a late scratch from Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, not skating out for warm-up and subsequently announced by the Flames as out day-to-day with a lower-body injury. After Wednesday’s game, Huska termed it “a minor injury.”

Huberdeau’s injury absence comes in the midst of his worst offensive season since joining the Flames in a July 2022 blockbuster trade with the Florida Panthers – the Flames received Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt and a conditional draft pick that eventually became Cullen Potter; the Panthers received Matthew Tkachuk and a fourth-round pick. Huberdeau struggled to adjust to the Flames in 2022-23 and 2023-24, seemingly chafing under Darryl Sutter’s abrasive coaching style and a more checking-focused playing system than he had in Florida.

But Huberdeau was really strong in 2024-25, joining the Flames’ penalty-killing group after an off-season chat with Huska and quietly becoming a pretty effective two-way player. His offensive production bounced back, too. After posting 55 points in 2022-23 and 52 in 2023-24, he had 62 points and seemed primed for a pretty strong 2025-26, too. His start to the season was delayed by an injury suffered in the pre-season, but he was quite good early on… but his play has visibly diminished in recent weeks. He has 21 points through 44 games so far this season.

Perhaps Huberdeau will return from his one game injury absence revitalized. Considering his prominence as a high-paid veteran player, the Flames will need Huberdeau to be fully healthy and fully dialed-in to get where they want to go as a hockey club in both the short and long terms.

The Flames host the Washington Capitals on Friday night.

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