What a breath of fresh air Calder Trophy winner Jonathan Huberdeau has been, especially after a shortened season turned disaster on a team that was never healthy. The 3rd pick of the 2011 NHL Draft is the first Panther to win this prestigious award. After the season ended, it was learned Huberdeau wasn't healthy either.
One of only 4 Panthers to play all 48 games, Huberdeau underwent what is called "minor" hip surgery to repair something that had bothering him all year. After playing 84 total games this year between Juniors, the World Junior Championships, and the NHL, the youngster needed a little repair after the long grind.
He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready to go this summer.
Huberdeau certainly started his career on the right foot, scoring his first NHL goal on his first shot in the first game. As with any rookie there were stretches where he disappeared a bit, and now knowing he was nursing an injury it makes sense that he likely wasn't playing up to his standards. Yet he still managed 14 goals and 17 assists, finishing second on the team behind Tomas Fleischmann's 35 points.
There were only a few players the opposition needed to be worried about this injury-plagued Panthers team, so for Huberdeau to put up those kinds of numbers...while hurt...while still undersized...while facing opposing top lines...is an amazing accomplishment.
There's no telling how good Huberdeau will be, especially if he is paired with a bonafide #1 center(MacKinnon anyone?), but he is unquestionably the face of the future for this blossoming franchise.
Other very talented young Panthers will be growing with Huberdeau in the years to come. GM Dale Tallon's blueprint for success should have this team in position to contend on an annual basis in a few seasons. That alone is something for Panther fans to be proud of, because they certainly have gone through incredible amounts of pain along the way.