Jonathan Huberdeau signed an eight-year, $84 million contract extension with the Calgary Flames on Thursday. It has an average annual value of $10.5 million and begins with the 2023-24 season.
The 29-year-old left wing was traded from the Florida Panthers on July 22 with defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, forward prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft for forward Matthew Tkachuk and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft.
“I’m thrilled to be part of the Calgary Flames organization long-term,” Huberdeau said. “I’m excited for this new chapter and I am committed to this team. I’ll give everything I have, on and off the ice and I can’t wait to play in front of the passionate Flames fans.”
Huberdeau could have become an unrestricted free agent after this season, the last of a six-year, $35.4 million contract ($5.9 million AAV) he signed with the Panthers on Sept. 7, 2016.
“We are excited to extend Jonathan long term in Calgary,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said. “He is an elite player, one of the premier forwards in the league who makes players around him better. We look forward to welcoming Jonathan to our community and his contributions to our team’s success.”
Huberdeau had an NHL career-high 115 points (30 goals, 85 assists) in 80 games for Florida last season, when he led the NHL in assists and tied then-Calgary forward Johnny Gaudreau for second in the League in scoring. Gaudreau signed a seven-year, $68.25 million contract ($9.75 million AAV) with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 13.
Huberdeau helped the Panthers (58-18-6) win the Presidents’ Trophy with the best record in the NHL for the first time in their history and had five points (one goal, four assists) in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Florida was swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in four games in the Eastern Conference Second Round.
“A [heck] of a year for me, I can’t ask for more. I played well,” Huberdeau told NHL.com on June 26. “I was consistent and I was a good leader. But obviously, it was just the way I learned a lot in the playoffs. I didn’t play my best hockey, but I think, obviously, it’s always harder in the playoffs and you’ve got to learn from that and you’ve got to deal with it, too. When you get in the playoffs it’s never … it’s not always going to go your way. And then next year, just going to be a better, better player. And I want to keep going with what I did this year and keep it going in the playoffs as well.”
Selected by the Panthers with the No. 3 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, Huberdeau has 613 points (198 goals, 415 assists) in 671 regular-season games and 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 26 playoff games.
On Tuesday, the Flames signed forward Andrew Mangiapane to a three-year, $17.4 million contract ($5.8 million AAV) and defenseman Oliver Kylington to a two-year, $5 million contract ($2.5 million AAV). Each was a restricted free agent scheduled for an arbitration hearing, Mangiapane on Aug. 5 and Kylington on Aug. 10. Forward Adam Ruzicka, a restricted free agent, remains unsigned.
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