Colby Guy
In the second game of the season, Jonathan Huberdeau became the first player to score 500 points in a Florida Panthers uniform.
Now, 600 looks like a real possibility for Huberdeau by the end of this season if things go his way.
That is just one of the many stats which show how good he has been this season.
“He’s a really good player, he’s been here for a long time and you can see why he’s so good,” Anton Lundell said.
“You just look at him and you’re enjoying everything you see.”
Huberdeau currently leads the Panthers with 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) in 33 games, ranking fourth in the NHL behind only Alex Ovechkin, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.
With company like that, Huberdeau is making his case to win the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.
He has also been the one constant on a Panthers team that has lost key pieces over the course of the season.
Sasha Barkov missed 13 games and Anthony Duclair missed eight due to injury.
Now, Sam Reinhart — Florida’s No. 2 point producer this season — is on the Covid list.
Yet, Huberdeau still finds a way to keep up the scoring and, more importantly, keep the Panthers afloat.
The Panthers are currently the second-ranked team in the league no matter how you slice it, ranking second in total points (47) and points percentage (.727) through their first 33 games this year.
They also have the best home record in the league, boasting an 18-3-0 mark at FLA Live Arena.
“Obviously, he is a tremendous player, we’ve gone through injuries and he’s been the one constant here,” interim coach Andrew Brunette said.
“I think for Huberdeau, over the last three years of working with him, he’s really taken on a leadership role. I think he realized how good he is and how good he can be and he’s dedicated himself off the ice to another level.”
For Huberdeau, it is his desire to win that fuels him.
“We want to win and make the playoffs, that’s all,” Huberdeau said. “That’s our goal, I think we’re going to be good every night and that’s what I’m trying to do consistently,
“I’ve been here for 10 years and to be a leader in the room and on the ice, that’s all I want to do.”
A leader he is, in more ways than one.
Huberdeau is Florida’s all-time point leader with 540 points in 624 games.
With Barkov trailing behind him with 486 points in 549 games, Huberdeau remains the only player in Panthers history to hit the 500 point milestone.
“It’s fun to watch and it’s even more fun to be a part of it,” Reinhart said. “I’ve always known what he’s capable of and to see it on a nightly basis is pretty exciting. You look at him leading the way and the depth following, it’s a fun way to play.”
Since the Panthers returned to play on Dec. 29, Huberdeau leads all players in points (nine) and assists (eight) during a four-game homestand.
“I’m trying to get better every game and, right now, I got the confidence with me,” Huberdeau said. “I’m making some plays out there, but that’s what I want to do, I want to be a good player.”
The 28-year-old has also stepped up in a new role: penalty killing.
Huberdeau has improved on his defensive game a lot over the years and now uses it to force turnovers and create chances in transition on the penalty kill.
Florida’s penalty kill is currently tied for 14th in the league with an 81.3 percent success rate.
“Playing the penalty kill this year has helped me become more responsible, but helping the team win and getting two points is all that matters.”
Huberdeau, in all facets of the game, has led the Panthers to where they currently sit right now.
If the season ended today, the team would have its best points percentage in franchise history.
The 28-year-old superstar is also on track to break Florida’s single-season point record, previously set by Barkov at 96.
If he keeps up his current pace, Huberdeau would finish the season with a franchise record of 104 points, becoming the first player in franchise history to hit the 100-point plateau.
And, yes, that would also put him at 602 points in his career.
“The way he controls the game is like no other player,” Aaron Ekblad said, “He does it at high speeds, at slow speeds, he’s able to control the game completely.
“He’s fun to be out there with, he’s always looking for that extra play to score, and he’s one of the best in the league for sure.”