After sparking concern among Flames fans, Craig Conroy clarifies Jonathan Huberdeau's setback

Jonathan Huberdeau's road back to the Calgary Flames lineup got a lot clearer this week, even if it took a couple of tries for the full picture to come out.

General manager Craig Conroy created some panic among Flames fans after telling QR770 radio host Jock Wilson that Huberdeau had hit a setback in his recovery from hip resurfacing surgery.

Turns out that was not quite the right way to put it.

Conroy sat down with Sportsnet's Eric Francis on Friday to walk back his earlier comments and explain what he actually meant.

He admitted it was a poor choice of words and clarified that the setback was really about Huberdeau's chances of being ready for the first day of training camp, not a step backward in his overall healing.

Huberdeau underwent hip resurfacing surgery in New York City back in March under Dr. Edwin P. Su, the same surgeon who performed similar procedures on Patrick Kane and John Klingberg.

The typical recovery window sits between seven and nine months, and Conroy said the winger is finally free of the daily pain that plagued him for much of last season, when he still managed 10 goals and 25 points in 50 games before being shut down.

With Huberdeau's camp status in doubt, Calgary has already brought in winger Alex Nylander on a professional tryout as extra depth up front.

Huberdeau, who came to Calgary from the Florida Panthers in 2022, still has five years left on his deal averaging $10.5 million per season, making him the highest paid player on the roster.

The Flames open their season October 1 against the Seattle Kraken at the Saddledome, and Conroy sounds confident his star winger will eventually be back in the lineup, even if the exact date is still up in the air.

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