Huberdeau focused on Panthers, not Art Ross Trophy race
All-Star forward leads NHL with 64 points, says 'this year is about the team'
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The forward has scored 64 points (17 goals, 47 assists) in 47 games and leads the NHL in assists. He has helped Florida (32-10-5) to first in the Atlantic Division and an NHL-best 23-3-0 record at home. The Panthers are also tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the most goals scored per game (4.09).
"Obviously, it's pretty fun (to lead the NHL in points), but for me personally, this year is about the team," Huberdeau said at the 2022 Honda NHL-All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. "We're a really good team, winning a lot of games. When you're having some points, that means you're helping the team, and that's all I want to think about."
Huberdeau is in the hunt for the Art Ross Trophy, awarded to the player who leads the NHL in scoring at the end of the regular season, with Edmonton Oilers forwards Leon Draisaitl (63 points in 42 games) and Connor McDavid (60 in 41, tied with Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri for third). Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin is fifth (58 points in 46 games).
Either McDavid or Draisaitl has won the Art Ross Trophy in four of the past five seasons; McDavid won it in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2020-21, and Draisaitl won the award in 2019-20. The only other player to win it in that span was Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov in 2018-19.
"[Huberdeau is] having a great year," McDavid said Saturday. "The whole team in Florida is playing great. [Their] individuals have lots of success. He's definitely one of those guys. It's been fun to watch that team go."
Huberdeau, who made his second NHL All-Star appearance, ranks third in the NHL in points (125 points in 102 games) over the past two seasons, behind McDavid (165 in 97 games) and Draisaitl (147 in 98).
"[Huberdeau] seems to get better every year," Draisaitl said Friday. "Obviously, this year he's been amazing, and that whole team has been really good. They have a lot of firepower, it's very noticeable in terms of how many goals they score."
Selected by the Panthers with the No. 3 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, Huberdeau could pass his career highs in goals (30), assists (62) and points (92), each set in the 2018-19 season. He excelled on the big stage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, scoring 10 points (two goals, eight assists) when the Panthers lost in six games to the Lightning in the Stanley Cup First Round.
Florida coach Andrew Brunette, who took over after Joel Quenneville resigned Oct. 28, said Huberdeau's success is a tribute to the work he's put in and the all-around game he's developed.
"Last year in the playoffs, when we played Tampa, we played really hard," Brunette said. "I think it gave our group a lot of confidence, [Huberdeau] included, that, 'Hey, we can play with the best, we can hang in there, I am a great player in this league.' And I think he's taken it to another level this year."
Another impressive part about Huberdeau's success is that he has played mostly on a separate line from center Aleksander Barkov at even strength this season. Huberdeau has played with different linemates and formed chemistry with center Sam Bennett and right wing Anthony Duclair.
"I think we're a better team when we don't play together (at even strength)," Huberdeau said. "We kind of separate the lines. Obviously, I love playing with [Barkov], but we've found some matchups playing with Bennett and Duclair. We have a lot of good players, and it's just worked out for us to have more depth in the lineup and four good lines."
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews had an assist on a goal by Huberdeau and also scored a goal, which Huberdeau had an assist on, in the first period of the Atlantic Division's 8-5 loss to the Central Division in the All-Star Game on Saturday.
Matthews, who ranks 10th in the NHL in points per game (1.31; 51 points in 39 games) this season and won the Maurice Richard Trophy last season as the leader in regular-season goals (41), said the days of Huberdeau being overlooked are long gone.
"Definitely got a taste of it playing with [Huberdeau] here (at the All-Star Game) -- he's a pretty incredible player," Matthews said. "It's been a lot of fun watching him play. Maybe not so underrated anymore. I think people are finally kind of starting to take notice of how good he is and how dynamic he is."
