The hockey world did a collective double-take when Mike Matheson — with the help of his agent, current Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes — signed an eight-year contract extension with the Florida Panthers in October of 2017, After all, Matheson was just beginning the final year of his entry-level deal and had all of 86 NHL games under his belt. However, the Florida Panthers were betting that Matheson, who that May had been named Best Defenceman at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, and fellow early-20s defenceman Aaron Ekblad would form the anchors of their blue line for years to come.
Analysis: Mike Matheson is “Petry-esque” in a lot of ways
