Florida’s late-round reward for making a rare playoff appearance in 2012, Matheson’s selection stands as only the second time the Panthers have used one of their first-round picks on a player outside of the top 20 since 2006.
For this reason, Matheson’s road to the NHL has been slightly longer than that of his fellow first-round counterparts. Instead of making an immediate jump to the NHL, the 21-year-old blueliner spent three seasons at Boston College, captaining the Eagles as a junior, before finally turning pro at the end of last season.
An offensive-minded defenseman, Matheson recorded five goals and nine assists in 43 games with the AHL’s Portland Pirates before finally getting the call from the Panthers last Friday and making his long awaited NHL debut the next day in a 3-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets at BB&T Center.