Calgary Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau has received an unwelcome title, with his eight-year, $84 million contract being named the worst in the National Hockey League by Athlon Sports. The publication recently compiled a list of the most burdensome contracts across the four major North American sports leagues, placing Huberdeau at the top of the hockey category for his high salary and sharp decline in on-ice production.
The ranking highlights a challenging chapter for both the player and the club, a relationship that began with monumental expectations in the summer of 2022. Huberdeau was acquired from the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster trade that sent winger Matthew Tkachuk to the Sunshine State. At the time, Huberdeau was at the peak of his powers, coming off a spectacular 115-point season where he posted 30 goals and a league-leading 85 assists.
Recognizing the need to secure a star player after Tkachuk's departure, then-general manager Brad Treliving quickly signed Huberdeau to the massive extension before he had even played a single game for the Flames. The deal, which carries an annual salary cap hit of $10.5 million, was intended to make the Quebec native a franchise cornerstone for the better part of a decade. However, the return on that investment has fallen dramatically short of expectations.
A stark decline in production
The drop-off in Huberdeau's performance was as immediate as it was severe. In his first season with Calgary in 2022-23, his point total was more than halved, plummeting to just 55 points on 15 goals and 40 assists. The 60-point regression was a jarring development for a player who had been one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers.
Many observers pointed to a clash in style with then-coach Darryl Sutter, whose rigid, defence-first system seemed to stifle Huberdeau's free-wheeling offensive creativity. The on-ice struggles were apparent, and the frustration mounted. While some wondered if an undisclosed injury was to blame, Huberdeau missed only three games that entire season, suggesting his issues were related to performance and system fit rather than health.
The following season under new head coach Ryan Huska offered little improvement, as Huberdeau finished the 2023-24 campaign with just 12 goals and 52 points. Compounding the lack of production, he posted a career-worst minus-29 rating, tying him with Yegor Sharangovich for the worst on the team. This signalled that a coaching change alone, while bringing some stability to the locker room, had not solved the puzzle of his performance.
After a slight rebound with a 62-point effort in 2024-25, the current 2025-26 season saw his struggles return. Through 50 games, Huberdeau had managed only 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points before the team made a significant announcement.
An 'almost impossible' contract to move
On Feb. 5, 2026, the Flames announced that Huberdeau would undergo season-ending hip surgery. The decision was framed as an opportunity to address a lingering issue and provide him with a "clean slate" to prepare for the 2026-27 season.
While a return to health offers a glimmer of hope, it does not change the financial reality of his contract. Huberdeau’s deal currently carries the 11th-highest salary cap hit in the entire NHL. Across the league, teams are constantly searching for roster value, from player signings to front-office hires, as seen with the Federal government's support for the sport-tech sector on a corporate level.
Over the past three full seasons, Huberdeau ranks 165th in the league in goals, 133rd in assists, and 139th in total points. That level of production is more aligned with a second or third-line forward, not a player compensated as one of the game’s elite talents.
The contract's structure makes it exceedingly difficult for the Flames to find relief. It includes a full no-movement clause (NMC), which, according to the league's collective bargaining agreement, gives Huberdeau complete control over his future. He cannot be traded, waived, or assigned to a minor-league affiliate like the Calgary Wranglers without his explicit consent. This effectively chains the Flames to the contract unless Huberdeau agrees to a move, an unlikely scenario given his salary.
Hoping for a fresh start
With five years and $52.5 million remaining on the deal after this season, the Flames and Huberdeau find themselves at a critical juncture. The organization is heavily invested in his success, as his salary consumes a significant portion of its resources under the NHL's salary cap, limiting its ability to pursue other players.
The primary hope is that hip surgery will resolve any underlying physical issues and allow a fully healthy Huberdeau to rediscover the form that made him a 115-point player. For the Flames to have any chance at becoming a contender, they need him to be a driver of offence, not a multi-million-dollar question mark. His performance in the 2026-27 season will be one of the most scrutinized storylines in Calgary sports.
Ultimately, the "worst contract" label from Athlon Sports serves as a stark public reminder of the gap between his pay and his production. The next chapter will determine whether the deal is remembered as a temporary misstep or one of the most challenging contractual burdens in franchise history. As it stands, Huberdeau's contract runs through the end of the 2030-31 season, tying player and team together for the foreseeable future.
