When Huberdeau suffered that terrible injury right before the Florida Panthers began their 2016-17 season, it was obvious that the Panthers were really missing him in their lineup. Through most of the season they struggled to keep up with the rest of the teams in the Eastern Conference, and it became clear that if the Cats were going to succeed, they needed to have Jonathan Huberdeau in their lineup every time they took the ice.
In the 2015-16 season when the Panthers shocked the entire sports world and won the Atlantic Division, Huberdeau played a huge part in their ascent to the top of the division.