What a roller-coaster ride Jonathan Huberdeau’s first three seasons as a Calgary Flame have turned out to be. What began with excitement about acquiring a 115-point player and locking him up long term was quickly followed by consecutive disappointing years. His contract was labelled one of the worst in the NHL, and many were trying to figure out ways the Flames could move on from him.

With high hopes but low expectations heading into last season, Huberdeau showed a glimmer of hope that he still has what it takes to be an impact player. Instead of continuing to embody the role of an offensive-minded playmaker, he reinvented himself as a 200-foot “power forward,” earning ice time in all situations and delivering his best season as a Flame to this point.

With his fourth season quickly approaching, the question becomes: what are the reasonable expectations for Huberdeau?

Basing expectations on the “power forward” version of Huberdeau is a good place to start. He embraced this role partway through last season, sparking not only his most productive stretch in Calgary but also his most effective.

Huberdeau should eat up lots of minutes at even strength playing on the Flames’ top line. He should also contribute regularly on the top power play unit as well as be one of Calgary’s most important penalty killers.

In terms of production, if Huberdeau finishes in the 60- to 70-point range again, most would consider that right on target. That should include around 20 to 30 power-play points and possibly a few short-handed contributions. Much of that will come alongside Nazem Kadri, with whom he found strong chemistry last year.

At the end of the day, if the Flames get the same version of Huberdeau they saw for most of last season, people will be satisfied.

Most Flames fans already know what “below expectations” looks like for Huberdeau — they saw it in his first two seasons in Calgary.

In this scenario, Huberdeau reverts to his old habits. Pucks disappear from his stick as quickly as they arrive, and while the spinning, no-look passes may look slick, too many end up on opponents’ sticks, leaving the Flames scrambling.

Anything shy of 60 points would fall below expectations. Playing on the top line and first power-play unit, his job is to produce. With little internal competition for that top-line role, it’s Huberdeau’s responsibility to generate offence. There’s no excuse not to if he’s getting those minutes.

You could contribute a tough season to Huberdeau’s lack of desire to practice and skate on his days off – This is a joke, relax.

It’s safe to say most people have accepted that Huberdeau will probably never return to being the 100-point player he was the year before coming to Calgary.

Exceeding expectations would mean at least a return to point-per-game status. Landing in the 80- to 90-point range is what Flames fans have hoped for since he arrived.

If that happens, good things are happening in Calgary. It likely means the top line consisting of Huberdeau, Kadri and Matthew Coronato have found chemistry and are producing at a rate note seen in Calgary for a few years.

On the power play, Huberdeau would rank closer to the top of the league in production, probably in the 30- to 40-point range. This would help the Flames power play see significant improvements compared to a season ago.

Defensively, he would clean up his game to become a formidable presence at both ends of the ice, perhaps even drawing Selke Trophy votes, much like former teammate Aleksander Barkov, as one of the league’s top two-way forwards.

This article is a presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the industry-leading 10-year, 160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty. Check out their showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca.