Back when the Calgary Flames acquired Jonathan Huberdeau three and a half years ago, fans expected the 100-point elite forward to fill the role left behind by Matthew Tkachuk, who went the other way to Florida. Since that move, the seasons have brought almost nothing but disappointment.

As the NHL prepares to return to Olympic hockey for the first time since 2014, it’s worth noting that not long ago, when people were projecting possible Team Canada rosters should NHL players ever return to the Games, Huberdeau wasn’t just mentioned as a possibility — he was considered a near lock for a top-six role. It’s remarkable to think a player could go from that level of expectation to being so far removed from the conversation in just a couple of years.

But that’s the reality facing Huberdeau and the Flames. There was some encouragement after last season, when he adjusted his game from being a primarily offence-minded playmaker to more of a 200-foot power forward. There were modest increases in his point totals, added value on the penalty kill and, overall, a more complete game than what was seen during his first two seasons in Calgary.

Heading into this season, expectations were higher — but how high? Most have accepted he’ll likely never return to the player he was in Florida. That leaves two versions of Huberdeau to consider: the one who struggled mightily in his first two seasons in Calgary and the one who showed signs of improvement last year. So which one showed up this season?

It wasn’t an ideal start. A pre-season injury cost Huberdeau the first five games of the regular season. He did score a goal in his season debut, but he quickly joined the rest of the Flames roster in a poor start, going pointless over the next few games.

Things began to look up in the final week of October and into early November, when Huberdeau recorded seven points in six games, including a game-winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers that helped the Flames earn a rare win at the time.

From there, the rest of November was essentially a write-off. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what happened. Perhaps the lack of scoring and wins began to weigh on him, leading him to try to force plays. Blind passes resulting in turnovers and scoring chances became frequent, and he was otherwise barely noticeable on the ice. After his two-goal performance against the Flyers on Nov. 2, Huberdeau went the remainder of the month without a goal and recorded just five assists.

Looking back, last season followed a somewhat similar pattern. It was December when he truly turned things around. On Dec. 1 of the 2024–25 season, Huberdeau had 14 points — eight goals and six assists. On Dec. 1 this season, he had 12 points, made up of four goals and eight assists.

December has already been kinder to him this year, with six points in eight games. He still has work to do to match last season’s 15-point December, but his game has looked noticeably cleaner, and there’s hope the momentum continues.

One area that has remained a clear strength is Huberdeau’s play on the penalty kill. Alongside strong contributions from Blake Coleman, Joel Farabee and the defence and goaltending as a whole, the Flames currently rank ninth in the NHL with an 82.7 per cent penalty-kill success rate.

At this point, it appears Calgary has retained the defensive version of Huberdeau that emerged last season. However, unless something changes dramatically as it did a year ago, the offence has slipped back toward the version seen in his first two seasons with the team.

The root cause is hard to identify. It could simply be a byproduct of playing on struggling teams. Perhaps Huberdeau is most effective when surrounded by other elite players, as he was during his final years in Florida. He showed strong chemistry with Nazem Kadri, particularly in the second half of last season, but the pair have spent much of this year apart — a factor that could also contribute to his diminished offensive output. Playing alongside Morgan Frost and Matthew Coronato just hasn’t produced much for this Flames team.

The talent is still there. Everyone has seen the plays he’s capable of making. He can turn nothing into something and that’s not a skill everyone possesses. The puck just hasn’t gone in for his linemates — or for himself — as often as it probably should. There may not be another player on the Flames fans are more eager to see collect points on a nightly basis. Not necessarily because you want to see him perform well, but because every point slightly softens the sting of his lengthy and costly contract.

Hopefully, this month marks another turning point in Huberdeau’s season and the numbers follow. Whether fans want the team to tank or not, this Flames group could use some individual victories. Huberdeau, in particular, could use one. He’s likely to remain part of the organization as it moves into a new era of younger players, a new building and renewed hopes of one day returning to Stanley Cup contention.