Flames general manager Brad Treliving intends to convince Jonathan Huberdeau to stay in Calgary beyond the next campaign and he demonstrated it by visiting the Quebecer on Monday in Montreal.

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The Quebec skater's agent, Allan Walsh, confirmed everything in a post on his Twitter account.

“Jonathan Huberdeau enjoyed a good dinner in Montreal with Flames general manager Brad Treliving. All credit goes to Brad for coming to Montreal to meet Jonathan and spend time with him to get to know him better.”

Huberdeau, acquired along with MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt and a Florida Panthers first-round pick over Matthew Tkachuk, will be an unrestricted free agent next year.

The striker will indeed spend the last year of his six-year contract, which earns him an average of $ 5.9 million per campaign. Under a 30-goal, 115-point 2021-22 season, he should get a substantial pay raise.

Huberdeau had indicated, a few days after the transaction, that he was open to staying in Calgary for the long term. He had also revealed that discussions between Treliving and his agent had already begun.

The native of Saint-Jérôme will be in his first campaign in the National League in a uniform other than that of the Panthers in 2022-2023, his name having been called by the Florida team with the third round of the 2011 draft. He amassed 613 points in 671 games with the "Cats."

Huberdeau also helped his old team win their first series since the 1995-1996 season - when the team reached the Stanley Cup Final - when the Panthers eliminated the Washington Capitals in six games in the first tour of the most recent spring ball. However, they were swept away in the next round by their Florida rivals: the Tampa Bay Lightning.