As he nears a return, this much has been oh-so-obvious -- Jonathan Huberdeau has been missed.
Injured during exhibition action, Huberdeau has been stuck spectating as the Calgary Flames have stumbled to a 1-4-0 start to the new season, including a string of four consecutive losses.
Without their most skilled offensive playmaker, the Flames have averaged only 1.80 goals per game, making theirs the most anemic attack in the NHL in the early stages.
While Huberdeau can't do it all by himself, it's a significant boost that the 32-year-old left winger should be available for Saturday's showdown against the Vegas Golden Knights.
"That's what we're planning on and what we're hoping for," Flames head coach Ryan Huska said during an interview on Sportsnet's FAN Hockey Show. "We'll have a good practice (Friday), then pre-game skate. And if everything continues to go as it has right now, we'll expect him in the lineup that night."
Huberdeau, who is the Flames' highest-paid player and part of the locker-room leadership group, was injured on a crease collision in an Oct. 1 tuneup loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
For a reminder of his impact and his importance to a squad that relies on a score-by-committee approach, simply take a glance at the stats from last winter.
He finished second on the team in both goals (28) and points (62) during the 2024-25 campaign. He also led his crew with six game-winners, was their most productive power-play performer, a regular on the penalty-kill unit and averaged more ice time than any other Flames forward.
Over the past couple of weeks, centre Nazem Kadri might have been missing Huberdeau more than anybody. They typically skate side-by-side on the top line.
Kadri, who buried a career-best 35 goals last season, is still shooting for his first of this fall -- he did snipe the shootout clincher on opening night in Edmonton, but that doesn't count toward his official tally.
Perhaps, Huberdeau can set him up for an icebreaker.
According to Natural Stat-Trick, the Flames have generated as many scoring chances as they surrendered over their first five games -- an even split of 88-88. And yet they are being out-scored 19-9, indicating that a lack of finish has been the biggest problem.
They will have their hands full Saturday in Sin City. The Golden Knights still haven't lost in regulation, with a 3-0-2 record, while centre Jack Eichel currently leads the league with 11 points and his pal Pavel Dorofeyev is tied for tops on the circuit with six goals.
Plus, the Flames historically have struggled at T-Mobile Arena with an all-time mark of 2-9-2 on the Vegas Strip.
To activate Huberdeau from injured reserve, there will need to be a move to clear a spot on the active roster.
Matvei Gridin and Sam Honzek are the easy options, since those young forwards don't require waivers to be assigned to the AHL's Wranglers, or the Flames could waive one of their spare defencemen. Jake Bean has been tapped for only two appearances so far and Daniil Miromanov has suited up just once.