Huberdeau's biggest season in Florida also turned out to be his last, thanks to a blockbuster trade that nobody could see coming
Things were going quite well around Pantherland in early 2022.
The Florida Panthers were having the best regular season in franchise history and on their way to the team’s first and only Presidents’ Trophy.
Florida would also go on to win its first playoff series since 1996 that year.
A big part of the Panthers’ success was the team’s home-grown talent. Foundational players who had been drafted a decade before were now carrying the team to heights never before seen.
We’re talking about Sasha Barkov, Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau.
Florida’s big three were all entering their prime years and playing like it, and a revamped front office was building around them and providing the stars a never-before-seen amount of support.
But seemingly taking a massive step forward during the 2021-22 season was forward Jonathan Huberdeau.
By the time the season was over, Huberdeau had accumulated 30 goals and 115 points, leading the Panthers in scoring during a season in which Florida was the NHL’s number one scoring team.
Little did anybody know, a few months later Huberdeau would be a huge part of the blockbuster trade that brought Matthew Tkachuk to Florida.
The Hockey News highlighted Jonathan Huberdeau’s big 2021-22 season with a cover story on its Feb. 28, 2022 edition, Volume 75, Issue 12, written by Matt Larkin.
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