Jonathan Huberdeau may not be ready for the start of the 2026-27 season. Flames GM Craig Conroy said Wednesday that the veteran winger suffered “a little bit of a setback” about two weeks ago in his recovery from hip resurfacing surgery, specifically in his skating. Speaking on QR770 in Calgary, Conroy stressed that the organization intends to be patient: Huberdeau’s work in the gym has been positive, but the Flames want to be certain he can handle physical contact before clearing him. With Calgary opening the season October 1 against Seattle, Conroy said he expects Huberdeau to be “pretty close” to ready, though the exact timeline remains uncertain.
The setback adds a wrinkle to an already difficult chapter. Huberdeau, 33, was shut down in late January and underwent the operation in March, ending a 2025-26 season in which he managed 10 goals and 25 points in 50 games. Hip resurfacing is a highly invasive procedure that has ended more NHL careers than it has extended. Patrick Kane is a rare success story, while players such as Ed Jovanovski and Ryan Kesler struggled to return to form. It’s a lot riding on a player still owed five years and $52.5MM on the contract he signed after arriving in the 2022 Matthew Tkachuk trade, a deal that has tilted heavily in Florida’s favor. Since arriving in Calgary, Huby has 194 points in 291 games played. The Flames, who struggled to produce offense during the 2025-26 season, will certainly be hopeful that a healthy Huberdeau can return and make an impact again.
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The Jets announced a round of coaching and medical staff updates, per Murat Ates of The Athletic. Matt Larke joins the NHL staff as skills coach after spending the previous four seasons as a skills consultant for the Seattle Kraken. On the medical side, former Manitoba Moose head athletic therapist Zach Salmonson moves up to the Jets as massage therapist and assistant athletic therapist, while the AHL club promoted Andy Grant to head athletic therapist and added Layne Richardson as an assistant athletic therapist.
The Utica Comets, the Devils’ AHL affiliate, announced Adam Pawlick as the newly appointed team president. Pawlick, who has led the club’s business operations, takes over day-to-day duties from Robert Esche, who is shifting his focus to his role as CEO of Mohawk Valley Garden, the Comets’ ownership group. He’ll oversee ticket sales, corporate partnerships, marketing, and fan experience heading into the new season.