Q&A – Jonathan Huberdeau

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers locked up yet another pivotal piece of their talented young core on Wednesday, signing left-winger Jonathan Huberdeau to a six-year contract extension, ensuring the skillful playmaker will remain in Sunrise through at least the 2022-23 season.

“Jonathan is a highly talented and dynamic player who is another important piece of our team’s young core,” Panthers President of Hockey Operations Dale Tallon said. “In each of his last two seasons he has posted over 50 points and has developed into a key component of our team’s offense.”

A first-round pick (third overall) of the Panthers in the 2011 draft, Huberdeau played his fourth full NHL season in 2015-16, scoring a career-high 20 goals and 59 points in 76 games. The 23-year-old also ranked tied for second on the team in assists (39) and shots (174), while playing alongside Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr on Florida’s top scoring line.

The 6-foot-1, 188-pound native of Saint-Jerome, Quebec has amassed 172 points (58-114—172) in 272 career games, all with Florida. He became the first player in franchise history to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2012-13 and suited up for Team Canada at the 2014 IIHF World Championship in Belarus.

Not long after the ink had dried on his new contract, Huberdeau sat down with FloridaPanthers.com’s Jameson Olive to discuss, among other things, exactly what went into his decision to commit long term to the Cats.

OLIVE: How does it feel to sign a long-term extension with the Panthers?

HUBERDEAU: It’s great. I’m really excited to be a part of the team for the next seven years. I think it’s a big step. I believe in the organization and they believe in me. It’s good to see that. I’m really happy to sign an extension.

OLIVE: What was your reaction after finally putting pen to paper on your new deal?

HUBERDEAU: We were all happy. As a player, you work hard to get a deal like this done. I wanted to stay in Florida. My family was happy. We had a great dinner and celebrated a little bit. Now, it’s time to get back to work.

OLIVE: After your entry-level contract had expired, you signed a two-year bridge deal in September of 2015. How much did that deal motivate you to go out and earn a long-term extension?

HUBERDEAU: When you sign a bridge deal, you want to go earn a good contract after that. I mean, that’s what I did. I worked hard and was rewarded at the end of that. I only played one year on my bridge deal …

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