A dubious separation between Jonathan Huberdeau and the Panthers

The trade sending Jonathan Huberdeau from the Florida Panthers to the Calgary Flames on Friday night shocked many.

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However, it is absolutely necessary to note that the Quebec striker has only one season left on his current contract. At 29, Huberdeau might indeed become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the next campaign. He will soon command a large annual salary.

Rather than risk losing him for nothing, the Panthers were able to use him to attract young Matthew Tkachuk.

“On behalf of the entire Panthers organization, we thank Jonathan and MacKenzie [Weegar] for their immense contributions, both on and off the ice, during their tenures in South Florida, Panthers general manager Bill Zito simply noted, according to remarks posted on the National League’s website. hockey. They both blossomed into exceptional athletes and people, leaving an indelible mark on our franchise and we wish them both continued success in their future.”

With no disrespect to Weegar, a good defenseman who played his first 306 NHL games with the Panthers, it was probably a bit silly for the Panthers organization to judge the two players equally when greeting their departure. .

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Huberdeau, who was selected third overall by Florida in the 2011 draft, is the Panthers’ all-time leading scorer with 613 points in 671 games.

A long contract extension for Huberdeau in Florida might have seemed logical, but the Quebecer was eventually sent to the Flames, along with Weegar, Cole Schwindt and a first-round pick. It was the price to pay to get Tkachuk.

Zito will have reserved his best compliments for his new acquisition, describing Tkachuk as “a physical and tenacious competitor who has a huge and unique arsenal of skills”.

Only 24 years old, Tkachuk was a restricted free agent. His acquisition by the Panthers was greeted with a new eight-year contract for $76 million.

The Florida Panthers’ all-time leading scorers in regular season:

1 – Jonathan Huberdeau – 613

2 – Aleksander Barkov – 553

3 – Olli Jokinen – 419

4 – Stephen Weiss – 394

5 – Scott Mellanby – 354