Jonathan Huberdeau’s arrival to the Calgary Flames should allow some of his new teammates to offer improved offensive production, starting with Tyler Toffoli.
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The former Montreal Canadiens color bear will begin his first full season with the Alberta team after being transferred last season. Like the rest of the hockey world, he took note of the important transaction completed this summer by the Flames acquiring Huberdeau from the Florida Panthers.
The Quebecer should have enough time to get to know Toffoli, because the two men have a good chance of finding themselves in a trio completed by Elias Lindholm. If the organization’s new addition continues on the path that racked up 85 assists over the past year, the partners are sure to rejoice.
“I played with ‘Lindy’ a bit last year and quite a bit on the power play so I know him well. And of course Hubie is a great player. Even before the camp started, you could see that he was a real skater and a good guy on the ice. This is a great opportunity to grow with a major game publisher. He’s had a great year and this is a great opportunity for me,” Toffoli told the Calgary Sun.
Nevertheless, the man who scored 20 goals in 74 games last season suspects that not everything will be perfect. It will take a little patience to get everything lined up.
“I think there will be ups and downs like everything else,” he said. We’ll have to take our time and try to get used to certain points and small games. We’ll continue from there.”
Not too difficult
Despite the 2021-2022 change of scenery, the veteran doesn’t seem to have had too much trouble navigating the Flames camp. In this respect, too, he does not anticipate any obstacles at the start of the campaign.
“To be honest, the transition wasn’t too difficult as I already knew more than half of the guys here. I find it exciting to be here and to be able to play with them to really work. We all agree with me, he said. For my part, I experienced the first real summer in almost four years. Arriving at the camp, I used another advantage for the following stage. I’m feeling my best and looking forward to what’s next.”